Prasannkumar 
Cyber-extortionist leaked Australians' medical records online
Cyber-extortionist leaked Australians’ medical records online
Medibank, a private insurer, says that it expects to publish more customer information online.
After a private insurer refused to pay ransom for the hacking of nearly 10 million records, a cyber-extortionist leaked information about Australians’ medical histories online.
Medibank stated Wednesday that it expects more customer data to come out after the extortionist posted personal details, including names and addresses, as well as details about medical procedures on a dark-web forum.
David Koczkar, CEO of Medibank, stated in a statement that the leak was “designed for our customers to suffer distress” and repeated an earlier apology to customers regarding the cyberattack.
Medibank reported last month that it was the victim of a cyberattack. They initially estimated that 4 million customers were affected, but then revised that number to 9.7 million.
Troy Hunt, a cybersecurity expert and Microsoft regional director for Australia, said that it was always shocking to see your data online.
“Unfortunately, if your goal is to get health insurance, they will need to keep precisely this type of information.”
Anthony Albanese, Prime Minister, stated that the government is working with authorities to address the cyberattack. This follows a series of data breaches in Australia including at Australia’s second-largest telecom company.
A blogger claiming to be an “Extortion Gang”, posted a message on the dark web Monday, in which he threatened to publish the hacked data within 24hrs if no ransom was paid.
Medibank stated that it had spoken with cybercrime experts before concluding that the ransom would not guarantee the return of customers’ data. It could also put more people in danger by making Australia an even bigger target.
Clare O’Neil, Cybersecurity Minister, stated that Medibank’s decision to not pay was in line with government advice. She urged media outlets and social media platforms not to allow the sharing of stolen medical histories.
O’Neil stated that if you do this, you will be aiding or abetting criminals. He also said that he was not proud of O’Neil’s statements to parliament.
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