Cybercrime: the medical data of many Australians stolen and disclosed
Medibank is one of Australia's leading private health insurance companies.
REUTERS - David Gray
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
"
We know who you are
," said the Australian federal police chief on November 11, referring to cybercriminals who took over the data of nearly 10 million Medibank customers. one of the country's leading insurance companies.
A few days ago, they demanded one dollar per stolen client file.
The perpetrators of this hack would have been located in Russia.
Advertising
Read more
From our correspondent in Sydney
,
Grégory Plesse
To show they weren't kidding, the cybercriminals behind the Medibank hack, from whom they are demanding a ransom of ten million dollars, published a third
dataset on the dark web
this Friday, November 11, detailing information on the health of 240 clients of the insurer suffering from alcoholism…
Cybercriminals from Russia, and precisely identified by the Australian Federal Police.
Its leader, Reece Kershaw has the firm intention of arresting them, with the help of Interpol and the Russian police: “
We think we know who the individuals responsible (for this attack) are but we will not name them.
On the other hand, we will talk to the Russian police about these individuals
”.
Many experts doubt Russia's cooperation in this case, the hackers concerned would be members of a group now dismantled, REvil, specialized in computer ransoms, which has long acted with the blessing of Moscow.
It is in any case the second time in a month that the data of millions of customers has been stolen from a large Australian company.
The previous victim being the telephone operator Optus.
Reece Kershaw therefore had a message for them “
If you allow me to make a request to companies: make sure your systems are protected.
Cybercrime is the burglary of the 21st century… And personal information is used like a currency.
»
The CEO of Medibank reaffirmed that he would not give in to hackers' ransom demands, in line with the recommendations of the Australian police.
► To read also:
Australia
points the responsibility of the telecom giant Optus after a massive hack
Newsletter
Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
Australia
Cybercriminality
Health and medicine
Russia