A recent break - in at a UPMC physician office underscored the need to store computer files properly . Several personal computers were taken . One of them contained information on approximately 700 patients . UPMC immediately reported the break - in to the local authorities and performed an internal investigation . All patients whose information was stolen were notified of the theft , and UPMC offered to reimburse those patients for the cost of credit monitoring services for one year . All staff and physicians are reminded to store computer files properly . Do not store confidential patient information on a local drive on your computer ( your hard drive , usually called C :) . Instead , store information on your network shared drive or departmental shared folder . Adhering to this UPMC policy by storing all business and patient files on the network servers reduces the ability of a computer thief to obtain confidential patient information . UPMC staff and physicians are required , as a condition of employment , to take appropriate measures to protect against theft or inappropriate disclosure of confidential patient information . Staff who fail to protect patient information or inappropriately disclose patient information face disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment . ;