Technology
Lab test results stolen in hack of 15 million patients’ records
An open letter from a medical testing company is never a good thing.
A Canadian company specializing in administering laboratory tests, LifeLabs, announced on Dec. 17 that it had been the victim of a data breach affecting up to 15 million customers. And yes, at least some of those patients’ test results were reportedly accessed by the unnamed culprits.
While a lot of questions still remain, what details we do have aren’t exactly reassuring. For example, LifeLabs claims it discovered the breach in October, but says it’s only notifying patients now in mid-December — after hiring outside security experts — because it wanted to make sure it understood the scope of the mess.
That it took over a month to determine that scope perhaps speaks to what a mess it is.
According to the company’s announcement, hackers could have accessed customers’ names, addresses, emails, login credentials, passwords, birthdays, health card numbers, and lab test results.
Although, it should be noted, LifeLabs insists that only 85,000 customers may have had their test results accessed. Oh, phew.
We recently identified a cyber-attack that involved unauthorized access to our computer systems. We are sorry that this incident happened. The data has been retrieved, and a law enforcement investigation is underway. For more info, visit https://t.co/gUYdHeR0Kh.
— LifeLabs (@LifeLabs) December 17, 2019
Interestingly, LifeLabs claims that, following the hack, one of the measures it took to protect its customers was “Retrieving the data by making a payment.”
It’s not clear how LifeLabs could have ensured that any stolen data, once retrieved, was truly deleted. Although, to be fair, such a move wouldn’t be unprecedented.
Another possibility, one that went unmentioned in the breach announcement, is that LifeLabs was the victim of ransomware. For the blissfully unaware, ransomware is a type of malicious software that encrypts a victim’s data. Once encrypted, the very hackers that infected the victim’s system promise to decrypt it — for a price. This would, at the very least, explain that rather odd “payment.”
LifeLabs is offering customers “Dark Web Monitoring,” “Identity theft insurance,” and “TransUnion credit monitoring alerts,” though we imagine that won’t placate those affected.
“While we’ve been taking steps over the last several years to strengthen our cyber defenses,” wrote LifeLabs president and CEO Charles Brown, “this has served as a reminder that we need to stay ahead of cybercrime which has become a pervasive issue around the world in all sectors.”
Indeed.
-
Business6 days ago
Women in AI: Rep. Dar’shun Kendrick wants to pass more AI legislation
-
Entertainment3 days ago
‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’ review: George Miller’s blazing action folktale might just have outdone ‘Fury Road’
-
Business6 days ago
Healthy growth helps B2B food e-commerce startup Pepper nab $30 million led by ICONIQ Growth
-
Entertainment4 days ago
‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2 trailer breakdown: Dragons, Rook’s Rest, and more
-
Entertainment4 days ago
Sex education is under threat in the UK. What’s going on?
-
Business4 days ago
Orange Charger thinks a $750 outlet will solve EV charging for apartment dwellers
-
Business3 days ago
Senate study proposes ‘at least’ $32B yearly for AI programs
-
Entertainment5 days ago
Apple iPad Pro 2024 (13-inch) review: The battery life is bonkers