Jessica Bartlett reports: A crippling cyber attack at the state’s second-largest insurer not only interrupted operations for months but also pummeled the insurer’s financials. For the six months ending in June, Point32Health reported a $102.7 million operating loss on $4.8 billion in revenue. Those results compare to a $25.8 million operating loss on $4.9 billion…
Author: Dissent
Two more attacks involving sensitive data: a plastic surgery center in Brazil and a psychiatric hospital in Lithuania
Although it’s impossible for DataBreaches to really monitor for attacks on medical entities around the world, here are two non-U.S. ones recently spotted that both involve sensitive data. Plastic Surgery Practice in Brazil This week, DataBreaches spotted a listing for data from a Brazilian plastic surgery practice. The seller, who calls himself “TheSnake,” claims to…
Bunker Hill Community College discloses May ransomware attack
From the college’s press release of August 18: Bunker Hill Community College (“BHCC”) confirmed today that the college experienced a data incident in May 2023 and will issue notices to affected individuals and relevant state and federal agencies about the incident. On May 23, 2023, BHCC detected irregular activity on certain BHCC systems that was consistent with a…
Real estate markets scramble following cyberattack on listings provider
Dan Goodin reports: Home buyers, sellers, real estate agents, and listing websites throughout the US have been stymied for five days by a cyberattack on a California company that provides a crucial online service used to track home listings. The attack, which commenced last Wednesday, hit Rapottoni, a software and services provider that supplies Multiple Listing…
Haggling With Hackers: Surprising Lessons From 50 Negotiations With Ransomware Gangs
Christopher Janaro writes: The prevailing wisdom from cybersecurity experts is that trying to negotiate with ransomware hackers is a bad idea, but on December 30, 2020, one victim broke the rules and gave it a shot. “Help?” they typed into one of the compromised computers. “Hello,” one of the hackers replied. “Are you ready to…
Health Data and Investigations: Between a Rock and a Hard Place
Matt Fisher writes: Demands for medical records can stem from a variety of investigations, which can involve a myriad of sources. The most recent example driving headlines is an investigation involving Vanderbilt University Medical Center (“VUMC”). VUMC disclosed records concerning treatment of transgender patients to the Tennessee Attorney General. According to the Attorney General, an investigation of…