The medical systems face high vulnerability with a risk to the health data, says a newly released counter-intelligence report by TrapX Security. The report indicates an increase in the efforts put up by the hackers to penetrate health networks.
In the recent years, the cyber threat has widened to the extent of health information systems as well. Previously, these cyber threats and attacks were widely focused towards businesses and personal data theft. This trend is of great concern to the patients and practionerers alike. With the hospitals embracing the technology to have large data managing systems installed, this information have also been spread on the dark web along with email details and banking credentials.
Why Hackers are Showing Interest in Medical System Networks?
TrapX managed to gain an insight onto why the hackers have been showing interest in the medical system networks by employing an illegitimate health care network developed and deployed onto the deep web. The systems of the network met with heavy intrusion from outside, and most of the anonymous users were interested in hacking medical devices to interfere with medical data. This presents a risk on the patient data and the safety of the device.
One of the cases where hacking attempts were made on medical devices is the case of syringe infusion pumps which occurred in the US last year. The DHS was coerced to issue a warning. Also, a recall of nearly half a million pacemakers was done by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration due to series of security vulnerabilities. The operation by TrapX gave us a good idea about the data flow of this stolen information through the dark web channels.
It is very difficult to comprehend the value of stolen data in the matrix of the Tor Network. This information do not remain stationary, and quickly change hands. The supply of the information has a direct result on the pricing. As long as the demand of data is prevalent, people continue selling the data. Some commonly priced data information like credit/debit card information have been in the market for quite some time, and as a result their demand and prices have been largely affected too.
How much Buyers Pay for such data?
Stolen medical data is somewhat new in the ecosystem of the dark web market, and the buyers are few. These buyers, however, are ready to payout about 10 times the amount charged of a normal set of stolen data (credit/debit).
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services manages to provide a numerical structure to this matter. A 2017 Mimecast research indicated that emails were the main reason for lapsed data security in the medical industry. This data has thereafter increased in 2018, with a large volume of reported cases.
The Bottom Line
Another cybersecurity firm Protenus, stated an increase in the number of reported cases from the previous year. It is really important to take care about such incidents and prevent hackers from stealing the crucial information that can be hazardous for the patients who have received treatment from these healthcare centers over the years.
