Ride the Lightning
Cybersecurity and Future of Law Practice Blog
by Sharon D. Nelson Esq., President of Sensei Enterprises, Inc.
HACKER LIFTS 8 MILLION VIRGINIA PATIENT RECORDS, DEMANDS RANSOM
May 6, 2009
If only it were a movie. Then again, it probably will be a movie, a cable movie at least.
On May 5th, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported that a hacker had broken into the computer network of the Virginia Department of Health Professionals. The hacker left an extortion note on the website WikiLeaks, demanding $10 million for the safe return of more than 8 million patient records and more than 35 million prescription records.
The hack apparently took place last Thursday, and the deadline for payment was within 7 days. State authorities and the FBI are investigating. The hacker left a Yahoo e-mail address as a means of contact. If the ransom is not paid, the hacker said the information would be put out on the Internet and the highest bid for it accepted.
All 36 servers at the Department containing records were shut down last week and a new redirected website indicates that the Department is experiencing "technical difficulties." Heck of a euphemism.
Looks like the Department needs both computer forensics and some serious security work.
Hat tip to Peter Vieth, legal editor of the Virginia Lawyers Weekly for bringing this story to my attention.
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