Russian hackers were responsible for a cyberattack on a significant Australian healthcare provider that exposed the data of 97 lakh people, including the prime minister of the nation, the country's police has disclosed, reported AFP
According to the report, Australian Federal Police commissioner Reece Kershaw blamed the attack on Russia-based "cyber criminals". Reece Kershaw, commissioner of the Australian Federal Police, linked the attack to "cyber criminals" operating out of Russia. "We believe those responsible for the breach are in Russia."
Kershaw said Australian police would approach their Russian counterparts for assistance. "We'll be holding talks with Russian law enforcement agencies about these individuals," AFP reported.
Kershaw added that they are aware of the identities of the hackers but would not be making it public now and assured that Australian police were taking "covert measures" to bring the hackers to justice.
The ransom ware attack
Medibank Private Ltd, the Australia’s biggest health insurer, was attacked by ransomware wherein around 97 lakh current and former customers’ data was jeopardized. According to Reuters, Medibank revealed that customer data were accessed in the data theft.
On Thursday, the hackers sought USD 1 from each of the 97 lakh Medibank clients after disclosing private information about their patients’ medical procedures on the dark web. They made public hundreds of potentially compromising records related to drug addiction, alcohol abuse and sexually transmitted infections.
{{/usCountry}}On Thursday, the hackers sought USD 1 from each of the 97 lakh Medibank clients after disclosing private information about their patients’ medical procedures on the dark web. They made public hundreds of potentially compromising records related to drug addiction, alcohol abuse and sexually transmitted infections.
{{/usCountry}}However, Medibank refused to make any ransom payment to the criminal responsible for a recent data theft. “Based on the extensive advice we have received from cybercrime experts we believe there is only a limited chance paying a ransom would ensure the return of our customers’ data and prevent it from being published,” Medibank CEO David Koczkar said as reported by Reuters.
The notorious Russian hacking outfit REvil
Security experts have speculated that they might be associated with the Russian hacking outfit REvil.
After demanding a USD 11 million ransom from JBS Foods, REvil, a ransomware programme that combined evil with ransomware, was apparently destroyed by Russian officials earlier this year.
The hackers wrote in a mocking response sent early on Friday morning on the dark web: "We always keep our word."
"We should post this data, because nobody will believe us in the future."
(Inputs from AFP and Reuters)