Cyber-extortionist leaks Australians’ medical records online
2 years, 4 months ago

Cyber-extortionist leaks Australians’ medical records online

Al Jazeera  

Private insurer Medibank says it expects more customers details to be published online. A cyber-extortionist has leaked details of Australians’ medical histories online after a private health insurer refused to pay a ransom for the hacked records of almost 10 million customers. “It’s always a shock to have your data leaked online, particularly this volume of this sensitivity,” Troy Hunt, a cybersecurity expert and Microsoft regional director in Australia, told Al Jazeera. “Unfortunately, if you want health insurance then they need to store precisely this sort of info.” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the government was working with authorities to respond to the cyberattack, which follows a string of recent data breaches in Australia, including at the country’s second-biggest telecom company. Cybersecurity Minister Clare O’Neil said Medibank’s decision not to pay was consistent with government advice and urged social media platforms and media organisations not to facilitate the sharing of stolen medical histories.

Data Customers Medibank  told  details  cyberextortionist  online  australians  reported  leaks  data  medical  customers  ransom  private  records  posted  media

History of this topic

Cyber fraudsters prey on medicos exploiting poor vigil
6 months, 2 weeks ago

Cyber fraudsters prey on medicos exploiting poor vigil

The Hindu  

Police officers who recently investigated some major online financial frauds in Kozhikode city have flagged the need for improved awareness on the part of medical professionals, especially doctors, who reportedly emerge as the most vulnerable group being targeted by scammers. According to officers from the Kozhikode cyber station, fraudsters who came in contact with the complainant on social media collected …

Cybercrime expert 'very confident' the MediSecure data of almost 13 million Australians has already been sold
8 months ago

Cybercrime expert 'very confident' the MediSecure data of almost 13 million Australians has already been sold

ABC  

Cybersecurity experts say the highly sensitive data of 12.9 million Australians, stolen from eScripts provider MediSecure, has already been sold on the dark web and is up for sale again. "Basically what they're saying is, 'We have sold this to one person, so we're going to lower the price from the original $50,000 to $25,000'," Jamie O'Reilly, founder of Australian …

NHS officials warned over patients data exposed in ‘hackers honey pot’
8 months, 3 weeks ago

NHS officials warned over patients data exposed in ‘hackers honey pot’

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “The NHS’ refusal to respond with appropriate action to a clearly articulated security risk months …

Investigation of Russian hack on London hospitals may take weeks amid worries over online data dump
9 months ago

Investigation of Russian hack on London hospitals may take weeks amid worries over online data dump

Associated Press  

LONDON — An investigation into a ransomware attack earlier this month on London hospitals by the Russian group Qilin could take weeks to complete, the country’s state-run National Health Service said Friday, as concerns grow over a reported data dump of patient records. NHS England said Friday that it has been “made aware” that data connected to the attack have …

How Medibank allegedly ignored the warning signs in one of Australia's worst cybersecurity breaches
9 months ago

How Medibank allegedly ignored the warning signs in one of Australia's worst cybersecurity breaches

ABC  

Pity the IT guy. In court documents, the commissioner has laid out a timeline of alleged cybersecurity blunders by Medibank amounting to "serious interferences with the privacy of… approximately 9.7 million individuals". It says on around August 7, 2022, the IT contractor's personal computer was hacked by a "threat actor" who stole his Medibank username and password. Medibank warned about …

Health board's chilling warning to EVERY patient after security breach: assume your data was hacked
9 months, 1 week ago

Health board's chilling warning to EVERY patient after security breach: assume your data was hacked

Daily Mail  

A Scottish health board has warned everyone in its area to assume that some of their data has been published online after its IT system was hacked. Officials confirmed that ‘over three terabytes of data’ was published by the hackers following February’s cyber attack, when a ‘substantial amount of patient and staff-identifiable data’ was stolen. ‘This leaflet sets out the …

Doctors and pharmacists left in the dark after being named in MediSecure data on the dark web
9 months, 2 weeks ago

Doctors and pharmacists left in the dark after being named in MediSecure data on the dark web

ABC  

In short: Doctors and pharmacists named in a sample of stolen MediSecure data posted on the dark web say they've received no contact advising them their information had been published online. Doctors and pharmacists named in a sample of stolen MediSecure data posted on the dark web say they've received no contact advising them their information had been published online. …

HIV tests dropped and a return to paper working: Inside the London hospitals being held to ransom by Russian hackers
9 months, 2 weeks ago

HIV tests dropped and a return to paper working: Inside the London hospitals being held to ransom by Russian hackers

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A cyberattack on NHS hospitals could take months to resolve, with …

Medibank is being sued by the privacy regulator, a move welcomed by former customers and cybersecurity experts
9 months, 2 weeks ago

Medibank is being sued by the privacy regulator, a move welcomed by former customers and cybersecurity experts

ABC  

In short : The Australian Information Commissioner is suing Medibank over a data breach at the health insurer in 2022. : The Australian Information Commissioner is suing Medibank over a data breach at the health insurer in 2022. Health insurance giant Medibank is facing a maximum fine theoretically in the trillions of dollars after the Australian Information Commissioner filed proceedings …

City council says confidential documents shared online after cyber attack
11 months, 2 weeks ago

City council says confidential documents shared online after cyber attack

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Leicester City Council has said confidential documents stolen from its servers in a …

‘Mother of All Breaches’: 26 billion data records from X, MySpace stolen
1 year, 2 months ago

‘Mother of All Breaches’: 26 billion data records from X, MySpace stolen

Hindustan Times  

A cybersecurity researcher has reportedly discovered a leak of 26 billion records, making it to be the ‘mother of all breaches’. This breach reported by Bob Dyachenko, the owner of SecurityDiscovery.com is beyond mere credentials, exposing highly sensitive data that holds significant value for malicious actors. The leaked data records go beyond mere credentials, containing highly sensitive information that could …

Australia goes on cyber offensive with sweeping resilience plan
1 year, 4 months ago

Australia goes on cyber offensive with sweeping resilience plan

The Hindu  

Australia will give cyber health checks for small businesses, increase cyber law enforcement funding and introduce mandatory reporting of ransomware attacks under a security overhaul announced on Wednesday after a spate of attacks. The federal government said it will also subject telecommunications firms to tougher cyber reporting rules which apply to critical infrastructure, seek migrants to build up the cyber …

Russian ransomware gang AlphV targets pathology company, law firms in latest string of attacks
1 year, 6 months ago

Russian ransomware gang AlphV targets pathology company, law firms in latest string of attacks

ABC  

In short: Russian hackers have claimed they are behind a series of cyber attacks on a number of Victorian companies, and say they have stolen at least 4.95 terbytes of data Russian hackers have claimed they are behind a series of cyber attacks on a number of Victorian companies, and say they have stolen at least 4.95 terbytes of data …

Privacy watchdog 'monitoring' telemarketer after financial information posted to dark web in data breach
1 year, 6 months ago

Privacy watchdog 'monitoring' telemarketer after financial information posted to dark web in data breach

ABC  

Two charities have said that banking details of their supporters were stolen and leaked on the dark web in a major cyber hack affecting more than 50,000 Australians. Key points: Pareto Phone collects donations from charity supporters At least 12 charities have confirmed donor data was leaked About 50,000 people have been impacted The ABC revealed last week that thousands …

A cyberattack has disrupted hospitals and health care...
1 year, 7 months ago

A cyberattack has disrupted hospitals and health care...

Daily Mail  

A cyberattack has wreaked havoc on hospital computer systems in five states, forcing some emergency rooms to close and ambulances to be diverted. One of the biggest healthcare hacks in US history last year saw a three-year-old boy in Iowa accidentally given a megadose of opioids after hospital computer systems were shut down. Some 16 hospitals across five states have …

More than a million NHS patients’ details compromised after cyberattack
1 year, 8 months ago

More than a million NHS patients’ details compromised after cyberattack

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. A recent ransomware attack on the University of Manchester …

What can cyber hackers do with your data — and how to stop it
1 year, 11 months ago

What can cyber hackers do with your data — and how to stop it

ABC  

When Beth* was caught up in the Optus data hack, she had to get a new drivers licence. University of Tasmania senior business and economic lecturer Joel Scanlan said they helped to form a "picture" of someone's identity, which could be used to commit crime. Dr Scanlan said hackers often send out millions of emails based on one hack, in …

Data hack by Cl0p ransomware group still being assessed, Tasmania's technology minister says
1 year, 11 months ago

Data hack by Cl0p ransomware group still being assessed, Tasmania's technology minister says

ABC  

Tasmania's technology minister says there is "no indication" government-held data has been compromised as part of a hack of a third-party file transfer site by a cybercrime enterprise but added the investigations were "ongoing". Key points: Last Friday, the Tasmanian government announced it was caught up in a data theft incident which has also affected Crown Resorts and Rio Tinto, …

Health data breach hitting Congress ‘could be extraordinary’
2 years ago

Health data breach hitting Congress ‘could be extraordinary’

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — House leaders say the impact of a hack of a health insurance marketplace used by members of Congress “could be extraordinary,” exposing sensitive personal data of lawmakers, their employees and families. In a letter to the exchange’s director posted on Twitter, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said the breach “significantly increase the …

BetterHelp: Online therapy company ordered to pay millions ‘for sharing customer data’
2 years ago

BetterHelp: Online therapy company ordered to pay millions ‘for sharing customer data’

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Online therapy company BetterHelp has been ordered to pay $7.8m by the US …

Medibank data leak extends to Australians who sought quotes from health insurance firm ahm
2 years, 2 months ago

Medibank data leak extends to Australians who sought quotes from health insurance firm ahm

ABC  

Potential health insurance customers who requested quotes with ahm have been caught up in the data breach affecting millions of Medibank customers. Key points: The personal information of up to 9.7 million Medibank customers was stolen and released in October 2022 People who had obtained quotes with health insurer ahm, part of Medibank, have been caught up in the data …

Three class action firms join forces to litigate Medibank breach
2 years, 2 months ago

Three class action firms join forces to litigate Medibank breach

ABC  

Australian law firms have joined forces to run a landmark data breach complaint against private health insurer Medibank after data from millions of customers was released on the dark web in October. Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, Bannister Law Class Actions and Centennial Lawyers have united to run the data breach complaint against Medibank, which they say could secure compensation for as …

Twitter Deny Data Leak Hack Sold Online Researcher Alon Gal
2 years, 2 months ago

Twitter Deny Data Leak Hack Sold Online Researcher Alon Gal

ABP News  

Twitter has denied a data leak that apparently hit 200 million of its users and their information was being sold online. The data hack that resulted in 200 million names and email IDs of Twitter users was not a result of a security bug on the micro-blogging platform's systems, Twitter has said. ".Therefore, based on information and intel analyzed to …

The editorial questions ABC News journalists faced when covering the Medibank data leak
2 years, 3 months ago

The editorial questions ABC News journalists faced when covering the Medibank data leak

ABC  

"Added one more file: abortions." Business reporter Emilia Terzon was among a team of ABC journalists who investigated the Medibank data leak over several weeks. As well as the "abortion" file, they posted stolen data about Medibank customers who had sought treatment for substance use, something that one-in-20 of us have struggled with, according to federal healthcare data. Medibank details …

More Medibank customer data released onto dark web. Has everything now been released?
2 years, 3 months ago

More Medibank customer data released onto dark web. Has everything now been released?

ABC  

Medibank has confirmed that more stolen customer data has been released on the dark web, amid reports the hackers have released all files remaining in their possession. Key points: Medibank has confirmed that further stolen customer data has been released The hackers have commented "case closed" on their post describing the latest release Cyber security experts say it remains unclear …

Medibank hack: Russian hackers release biggest trove of information yet
2 years, 3 months ago

Medibank hack: Russian hackers release biggest trove of information yet

Daily Mail  

Russian hackers are believed to have published all remaining stolen data from Medibank - putting the personal information of up to 9.7million Australians at risk. About 9.7 million current and former customers are believed to have been affected by the data breach November 30 is 'International Cyber Security Day', an ironic occasion for the hackers to post the data. Medibank …

Cyber black market selling hacked ATO and MyGov logins shows Medibank and Optus only tip of iceberg
2 years, 3 months ago

Cyber black market selling hacked ATO and MyGov logins shows Medibank and Optus only tip of iceberg

ABC  

The highly sensitive information of millions of Australians — including logins for personal Australian Tax Office accounts, medical and personal data of thousands of NDIS recipients, and confidential details of an alleged assault of a Victorian school student by their teacher — is among terabytes of hacked data being openly traded online. Key points: ABC Investigations can reveal confidential documents …

Medibank defends decision to not pay hackers ransom for stolen data as it contacts 480,000 customers
2 years, 4 months ago

Medibank defends decision to not pay hackers ransom for stolen data as it contacts 480,000 customers

ABC  

Medibank’s boss says the company will begin directly communicating with nearly half a million customers whose health data is believed to have been stolen, weeks after it first became aware hackers had breached its customer database. Medibank's chief executive David Koczkar said the company had started on Wednesday communicating with about 480,000 customers whose health data was believed to have …

ANOTHER hospital system goes down in cyberattack: Half a million records in Texas 'are leaked'
2 years, 4 months ago

ANOTHER hospital system goes down in cyberattack: Half a million records in Texas 'are leaked'

Daily Mail  

The hospital group is being sued by two patients for acting ‘in a reckless manner' with their personal data They claimed to have over a million patient records that they will release 'soon' in two further leaks online OakBend Medical Center said 500,000 individuals were affected by the breach, but it could be over a million Have YOU or anyone …

Cyber Security Minister Clare O'Neil flags multiple reforms to protect personal data after Medibank data leaks
2 years, 4 months ago

Cyber Security Minister Clare O'Neil flags multiple reforms to protect personal data after Medibank data leaks

ABC  

Cyber Security Minister Clare O'Neil says Australia needs to "wake up out of the cyber-slumber", flagging a slew of reforms designed to protect personal data including making it illegal to meet ransom demands. Key points: The Federal Government is considering making it illegal to pay ransoms Clare O'Neil says payments fuel the ransomware business She says data retention laws are …

Cyber criminals want Medibank customers to feel ashamed of their medical procedures. Let's refuse
2 years, 4 months ago

Cyber criminals want Medibank customers to feel ashamed of their medical procedures. Let's refuse

ABC  

It says a lot about the nature of the Russian Medibank hackers that their first data drop was of clients who had sought abortions. Then came a bunch of files of customers who had received health services for alcohol-related illnesses – something I imagine some Russian crooks would know a fair bit about. Not having succeeded in blackmailing Medibank into …

Australia blames Russians for health insurance data theft
2 years, 4 months ago

Australia blames Russians for health insurance data theft

Associated Press  

CANBERRA, Australia — Moscow must he held to account for Russian cybercriminals accused of hacking Australia’s largest health insurer and dumping customers’ personal medical records on the dark web, Australian officials said Friday. A group of “loosely affiliated cybercriminals” operating like a business in Russia were likely responsible for the Medibank attack as well as other significant security breaches around …

Medibank criminal hackers trying to 'incite' fear as customers realise extent of data dump
2 years, 4 months ago

Medibank criminal hackers trying to 'incite' fear as customers realise extent of data dump

ABC  

Cybercriminals continue to drip feed stolen Medibank customer data, in a move experts say appears to be designed to "incite fear". Key points: Cyber security experts said more support is needed for victims of the Medibank hack Affected customers have called for changes to data retention laws There are also calls for the payment of ransoms to be illegal In …

Russia responds after AFP Commissioner says Medibank hackers based in Russia
2 years, 4 months ago

Russia responds after AFP Commissioner says Medibank hackers based in Russia

ABC  

Russia's embassy in Australia has criticised a statement by Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw that those responsible for the Medibank hack are based in Russia, saying the announcement was made before the AFP contacted Russian law enforcement agencies. Key points: AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw says a group of cyber criminals based in Russia are believed to be responsible for …

Australian police blame Russian hackers for medical records leak
2 years, 4 months ago

Australian police blame Russian hackers for medical records leak

Al Jazeera  

Australian authorities have blamed Russia-based hackers for a cyberattack that exposed the personal information of private health insurance customers, including details of abortions and treatments for addiction and HIV. Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw said on Friday that a “group of loosely affiliated cybercriminals” linked to data breaches elsewhere was responsible for the cyberattack on Medicare. Kershaw said that …

Abortions exposed among Australian health insurer customers
2 years, 4 months ago

Abortions exposed among Australian health insurer customers

Associated Press  

CANBERRA, Australia — Extortionists dumped stolen client records relating to pregnancy terminations on the dark web on Thursday in their latest effort to pressure Australia’s largest health insurer to pay a ransom. Medibank CEO David Koczkar condemned the release of Thursday’s tranche of data as “disgraceful.” “The weaponization of people’s private information in an effort to extort payment is malicious, …

Hackers have released stolen Medibank data on the dark web. What does this mean for customers?
2 years, 4 months ago

Hackers have released stolen Medibank data on the dark web. What does this mean for customers?

ABC  

Some of the stolen Medibank customer data has been leaked online after Australia's largest health insurance provider refused to pay a ransom to hackers. Loading YouTube content Medibank has started a dedicated cyber crime support package, including: A hardship package to provide financial support for customers who are in a uniquely vulnerable position as a result of this crime, who …

Hackers claim they demanded $15 million ransom as more Medibank customer data posted to dark web
2 years, 4 months ago

Hackers claim they demanded $15 million ransom as more Medibank customer data posted to dark web

ABC  

The Medibank hackers claim they demanded a $US9.7 million ransom not to release stolen customer information, as the health insurer blasted their latest data dump as a "malicious" attack on vulnerable Australians. Key points: Medibank previously warned customers it expected more stolen information to be released Cyber Safety Minister Clare O'Neil is calling on social media companies to make sure …

NSW government agencies legally required to report data breaches under proposed law
2 years, 4 months ago

NSW government agencies legally required to report data breaches under proposed law

ABC  

NSW government agencies will legally be required to report customer data breaches like cyber attacks if a new bill is passed through parliament. Key points: NSW would be the first state or territory to legalise reporting data breaches The move comes after customer data was hacked at Optus and Medibank The Opposition says the bill is a "common sense" measure …

Hacker demands $10m to stop leaking Australians’ medical records
2 years, 4 months ago

Hacker demands $10m to stop leaking Australians’ medical records

Al Jazeera  

Cyber-extortionist posts medical information purporting to show details of abortions and treatments for addiction, HIV. In a message posted on the dark web early on Thursday morning, the hacker said it was demanding $1 from Medibank, Australia’s largest private health insurer, for each of the 9.7 million customers affected in an enormous data breach last month. The cybercriminal or criminal …

Hacker releases Australian health insurer’s customer data
2 years, 4 months ago

Hacker releases Australian health insurer’s customer data

Associated Press  

CANBERRA, Australia — Client data from Medibank, Australia’s largest health insurer, was released by an extortionist on Wednesday, including details of HIV diagnoses and drug abuse treatments, after the company refused to pay a ransom for the personal records of almost 10 million current and former customers. “Letting customers discover their most sensitive information imaginable has been published and hearing …

Medibank confirms names, addresses, birthdays posted to dark web by hackers after ransom deadline passes
2 years, 4 months ago

Medibank confirms names, addresses, birthdays posted to dark web by hackers after ransom deadline passes

ABC  

Medibank has confirmed that the criminals responsible for stealing customer data have released some of that information on a dark web forum. Key points: Medibank has confirmed stolen data has been released on the dark web Medibank customers have been told to be alert for any phishing scams via phone, post or email. Around 9.7 million current and former Medibank …

Extortionist threatens to publish Australian customer data
2 years, 4 months ago

Extortionist threatens to publish Australian customer data

Associated Press  

CANBERRA, Australia — An extortionist has threatened to make Medibank customer data public within 24 hours after Australia’s largest health insurer refused to pay a ransom for the personal records of almost 10 million current and former customers. “Based on the extensive advice we have received from cybercrime experts, we believe there is only a limited chance paying a ransom …

Medibank data leak threatened by cybercriminal as class action lawsuits loom
2 years, 4 months ago

Medibank data leak threatened by cybercriminal as class action lawsuits loom

ABC  

A cybercriminal individual or group demanding a ransom has threatened to release Medibank client data as Australia's largest health insurer faces a possible class action over the hacking of sensitive information for 9.7 million current and former customers. Key points: An individual or group claiming to have Medibank customer data has threatened to release it within the next 24 hours …

Australian firms roiled by raft of cyberattacks this year
2 years, 4 months ago

Australian firms roiled by raft of cyberattacks this year

The Hindu  

Australian firms have suffered a flood of cyberattacks, putting the spotlight on country's understaffed cybersecurity industry which experts say seems ill-equipped to tackle such hacks, thus endangering sensitive information of millions of people. Woolworths Australia's biggest grocer Woolworths Group Ltd. said its majority-owned online retailer MyDeal identified that a "compromised user credential" was used to access its systems, exposing email …

Medibank cyber attack: what personal data has been accessed and what can you do?
2 years, 4 months ago

Medibank cyber attack: what personal data has been accessed and what can you do?

ABC  

Medibank has detailed what personal information it believes a cybercriminal has accessed from customers in the latest update on the hack of the company's data. Medibank believes health claims data, including service provider name and location, what type of medical service was received, and codes related to diagnoses and procedures were accessed for 160,000 Medibank customers. ahm customers Medibank believes …

Medibank refuses to pay ransom for hacked data as affected customer number doubles to 9.7m
2 years, 4 months ago

Medibank refuses to pay ransom for hacked data as affected customer number doubles to 9.7m

ABC  

Medibank says no ransom payment will be made to the criminal responsible for the recent data hack as the the private health provider put a further head figure in data losses. Key points: Medibank is yet to confirm the figure of the ransom demand But it believes paying could have "the opposite effect" and encourage criminal behaviours The number of …

Medibank CEO says ransom amount 'irrelevant' and paying up would only increase risk of further extortion
2 years, 4 months ago

Medibank CEO says ransom amount 'irrelevant' and paying up would only increase risk of further extortion

ABC  

The boss of embattled insurer Medibank says the value of the ransom demand from cyber criminals was "irrelevant" in the company's decision not to negotiate with the hackers. Key points: The company says details of 9.7 million current and former customers have been accessed Almost half a million customers had private health data accessed Medibank chief executive David Koczkar said …

Privacy fears for children caught up in Medibank data breach
2 years, 4 months ago

Privacy fears for children caught up in Medibank data breach

ABC  

Sarah's* children have been insured under her Medibank family health insurance policy almost since they were born. Key points: Medibank has confirmed data shared by the hacker includes customers under 18 Personal and health claims data for people who are or were under 18 has also been accessed Experts say health data leaks put kids as well as their parents …

Discover Related