Ramblings of an old Doc

 

This is a more of a warning to our great Australian members. While I don’t know if any of you are affected by this heinous deed, you might be.

A group of criminals has hacked the Miami Family Medical Center’s patient records, broken their encryption and re-encrypted them, making them unavailable to the Center, its patients and their Physicians and healthcare personnel.

They are offering to supply the new encryption key for a payment of ransom. They have also threatened to wipe the hard drive of all stored data unless the hefty payments are received. The payment is A$4,000 (US$4,196).

Paying these cyber-criminals will only result in more demands, most likely.

If you are among that center’s patient population, please take notice… I’m sorry for your anxiety and any damage these cyber-criminals might do to you.

Source:

http://www.infopackets.com/news/security/2012/20121212_hackers_hold_medical_records_hostage.htm


Comments
on Dec 12, 2012

thanks for the thumbs up Doc, mine is safe for now , but yes  need to be careful   .....

 

ooooo, who's looking at my file ?  

on Dec 12, 2012

Wow... not good.  There was an article recently that explained how, because of the Healthcare Reform Act, all of a patient's medical and personal information will now be stored in one, central facility. What could possibly go wrong there? There's going to be more and more of this kind of thing unless security protocols can get a whole lot better.

on Dec 12, 2012

I remember a saying about eggs and baskets...

Still, amazed there was no backup!

on Dec 12, 2012

DrJBHL
Still, amazed there was no backup!

+1

on Dec 12, 2012

+2 even. Of all the stupid...

on Dec 12, 2012

Well, to be fair, the article wasn't really complete, and didn't relate to that.

Might be the Australian Police want them to arrange a meeting...or something of the like...there might be a backup...I'd be truly amazed if there weren't.

on Dec 12, 2012

I'd be getting copies of all my medical records together just in case!

on Dec 12, 2012

as I have some medical practices as customers, I find this report to be VERY DISTURBING, especially as the typical backup methods either require a lot of time or a lot of time AND a person to change storage media as needed, BUT it is my GP customers that have moved to totally electronic records that have me most worried for, as my specialist medicos typically have a mix of electronic (for financial) and paper for other types of info.

harpo