BreachExchange mailing list archives
Medical identity theft on the rise
From: Audrey McNeil <audrey () riskbasedsecurity com>
Date: Mon, 18 Nov 2013 00:03:16 -0700
http://www.wwlp.com/news/i-team/i-team-medical-identity-theft-on-the-rise Identity theft can be scary in any form but there's one type on the rise that can have deadly consequences. People are actually selling your medical records online which can be dangerous if they end up in the wrong hands. The 22News I-Team did an experiment and found we didn't have to pay any money at all to find out names of people in Massachusetts who are diabetics, the number of times a day they need medication, who their doctor is and where they live. You'd like to think that those closed-door meetings with your doctor stay between you two, but as more hospitals and doctors' offices put their records online, it's becoming easier for people to access them. Springfield consumer advocate Milagros Johnson says medical identity theft is getting worse and a 22News I-Team investigation reveals just how easy it is to get information. We discovered websites that sell patient information. They appear to target medical supply companies, but there's nothing stopping the general public from accessing the information as well. The 22News I-Team e-mailed the company to ask what they could offer and for how much. They gave a list of prices but also supplied us with free samples: samples of names and personal information. For no money at all, we were able to get the names of hundreds of patients, their home address and number, names of their doctors, how often they take medication, etc. Some of these people are right here in Western Mass. Computer experts at Western New England University say once you have the private information we obtained, it only gets easier to get more. “Any property records, criminal records, bankruptcy, liens, any judgment or lawsuit information,” said Kevin Gorman. Milagros Johnson says if someone takes over your identity it can have major financial, or worse, health implications. “If, God forbid, I ever need some type of medical care, that person’s blood type is on my medical record,” said Johnson. “Don't tell me that's not going to be a risk to my health. So it's putting us at huge risks. Our health could be jeopardized, it could be a matter of life and death.” There are things you can do. Never give out personal information over the phone. You can also ask your health insurer to send you a list of recent expenditures to ensure you're only paying for services you have received
_______________________________________________ Dataloss Mailing List (dataloss () datalossdb org) Archived at http://seclists.org/dataloss/ Unsubscribe at http://lists.osvdb.org/mailman/listinfo/dataloss For inquiries regarding use or licensing of data, e-mail sales () riskbasedsecurity com Supporters: # OWASP http://www.appsecusa.org # Builders, Breakers and Defenders # Time Square, NYC 20-21 Nov o()xxxx[{::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::> Risk Based Security (http://www.riskbasedsecurity.com/) Risk Based Security offers security intelligence, risk management services and customized security solutions. The YourCISO portal gives decision makers access to tools for evaluating their security posture and prioritizing risk mitigation strategies. Cyber Risk Analytics offers actionable threat information and breach analysis.
Current thread:
- Medical identity theft on the rise Audrey McNeil (Nov 21)