ORTHOPEDICS THIS WEEK VOLUME 13 , ISSUE 5 | FEBRUARY 14 , 2017 5 resolution so we can go our separate ways — it was anything but .”
TDO targets healthcare organizations , likely because clinics are responsible for sensitive patient information . Like financial institutions , healthcare organizations house some of the most vulnerable information imaginable : health records . TDO claims to contact their victims ( including Peachtree ) to warn them about computer vulnerabilities , offering to fix them for a fee . If the thinly veiled ransom isn ’ t paid , TDO threatens to sell sensitive information on “ the dark web .” The dark web is where illegal activity runs rampant online , and this world is not accessible via traditional search engines like Google .
According to TDO , the hacking group “ acquired 543k patient records which contain both Personally Identifiable Information ( PII ) and Protected Health Information ( PHI )… Oh , the things we
could do with so much data !” However , what ’ s especially interesting in the TDO press release and link dump teaser is that some of the files were acquired in mid-May 2016 . Why did it take so long for Peachtree to announce the hack ? Why wasn ’ t the breach confirmed until September 22 ?
“ Dump ” ster Diving
The contents of TDO ’ s Peachtree “ dump ” is random and sporadic at best . It includes tax return documents , personal information of both staff and patients , insurance billing codes , and an interesting file called “ CV of doctor to ransom . pdf .” Login information , including both usernames and passwords , for various healthcare sites like Aetna and AARP are also included in the dump .
Peachtree made the official report to the U . S . Department of Health and Human
Services ( HHS ) on November 18 , 2016 . According to the HHS report , the 531,000 “ people at risk ” live in five different counties . Peachtree ’ s hack was the biggest in Georgia for 2016 and was the sixth largest in the U . S . ( in terms of people put at risk ). Notable potential victims include Atlanta Hawks current members , Braves former players , FBI agents , and other government civil servants .
Health ( Record ) Matters
On the dark web , medical records are extremely valuable . Many people think social security numbers ( SSN ) are where the illegal profits are , but today SSNs cost a few cents each . Medical records can sell for up to $ 5 apiece on the dark web . Steven Grimberg , Assistant U . S . Attorney at the Department of Justice , says the dark web is “ user-friendly , like Amazon or eBay . You can go on there and take your pick as to what kind of information you want .”
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