'Cyber underworld' turns attention to lucrative health data

Neil Versel | | Health Exec | Cybersecurity

The "newest frontier" in the dark "cyber underworld" is health data, according to a report from NPR's "Morning Edition," and it's a lucrative business for criminals, as the recent Anthem data hack illustrated all too well to the healthcare industry. In the NPR story, Greg Virgin, CEO of the security firm RedJack walked the reporter through a Yelp-like rating system for illicit transactions to find a highly regarded dealer selling a "value pack" of 10 Medicare ID numbers for 22 bitcoin, or about $4,700.

Another interviewee, Orion Hindawi of network monitoring company Tanium, said he was not surprised to hear about the Anthem incident, and predicted that there will be more cyber attacks against healthcare organizations in the future.

The Black Market For Stolen Health Care Data

Neil Versel

Neil Versel joined TriMed in 2015 as the digital editor of Clinical Innovation + Technology, after 11 years as a freelancer specializing in health IT, healthcare quality, hospital/physician practice management and healthcare finance.

Related Content

FBI seeking extradition of Israeli prisoner accused of $500M in ransomware attacks
Data breach at chain of clinics impacts 450K patients
Nebraska becomes first state to sue Change Healthcare over data breach
Christmas ransomware exposed over 300K patient records to dark web
Cryo-frozen tissue manufacturer suffers cyberattack
First surgical device of its kind granted key FDA exemption

Around the web

Cardiovascular Business
FDA says years-long tirzepatide shortage is resolved, will give limited leeway to compounders

The tirzepatide shortage that first began in 2022 has been resolved. Drug companies distributing compounded versions of the popular drug now have two to three more months to distribute their remaining supply.

AI in Healthcare
From Capitol Hill to a hospital near you? 5 federal recommendations for healthcare AI policy

The 24 members of the House Task Force on AI—12 reps from each party—have posted a 253-page report detailing their bipartisan vision for encouraging innovation while minimizing risks. 

Cardiovascular Business
Merck spends up to $2B to license new weight loss drug with potential heart benefits

Merck sent Hansoh Pharma, a Chinese biopharmaceutical company, an upfront payment of $112 million to license a new investigational GLP-1 receptor agonist. There could be many more payments to come if certain milestones are met.