Healthcare providers and patients have been warned by the FBI regarding ongoing cyber intrusions involving the impersonation of health insurers and claims investigators that seek to pilfer medical records and bank account details, The Register reports.
Malicious emails or text messages are being sent by threat actors to lure targets into providing protected health information, financial information, medical records, and reimbursements for purported overpayments, according to an FBI alert. Health-ISAC Chief Security Officer Errol Weiss noted the growing prevalence of social engineering and phishing schemes akin to the FBI advisory being aimed at its members, with healthcare entities being an attractive target due to the complexity of their billing and procurement processes. Financially motivated threat operations and state-backed hackers, particularly those in North Korea, have been behind such intrusions, Weiss said. "They are sophisticated operations that invest time in reconnaissance to make their fraudulent requests appear as legitimate as possible. Their primary goal is direct financial theft through fraudulent wire transfers and payments," added Weiss.
Malicious emails or text messages are being sent by threat actors to lure targets into providing protected health information, financial information, medical records, and reimbursements for purported overpayments, according to an FBI alert. Health-ISAC Chief Security Officer Errol Weiss noted the growing prevalence of social engineering and phishing schemes akin to the FBI advisory being aimed at its members, with healthcare entities being an attractive target due to the complexity of their billing and procurement processes. Financially motivated threat operations and state-backed hackers, particularly those in North Korea, have been behind such intrusions, Weiss said. "They are sophisticated operations that invest time in reconnaissance to make their fraudulent requests appear as legitimate as possible. Their primary goal is direct financial theft through fraudulent wire transfers and payments," added Weiss.
