Latest news with #Comparitech
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Over 900,000 hit in massive healthcare data breach — names, addresses and Social Security numbers exposed online
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Hackers and especially ransomware gangs have been on a rampage targeting and attacking healthcare organizations this year. Now, one of the largest dialysis providers in the U.S., DaVita, has fallen victim to a massive healthcare data breach. As reported by Comparitech, the kidney dialysis company DaVita has revealed that it suffered a data breach earlier this year when hackers gained unauthorized access to servers, primarily located in its laboratories. While DaVita became aware of this security incident in mid-April, the hackers behind the attack first gained access to its systems on March 24. During which time, they stole all sorts of sensitive personal, financial and medical data. DaVita hasn't come out and said which hackers are responsible but after news of the breach was made public, the Interlock ransomware gang took credit for the attack, claiming it managed to steal 1.5TB of data including 683,104 files and 75,836 files according to a previous report from Comparitech. Whether you, a family member or someone you know gets dialysis treatment at one of DaVita's centers, here's everything you need to know about this latest data breach along with some tips on how you can stay safe and what to do now. Exposed personal and medical info Now that the dust has settled and DaVita has carried out a full investigation into the security incident, the company has begun sending out data breach notification letters to affected to DaVita's latest notice (PDF), the following patient data was stolen in the breach: Names Addresses Dates of birth Social Security numbers Health insurance info Medical info (conditions, treatments and test results) Tax ID numbers Images of checks made out to the company It's worth noting that the types of stolen data are different for all impacted individuals. While some people may have had all of the data listed above stolen in the breach, this may not be the case for everyone. How to stay safe after a data breach and what to do next If you or someone in your household gets dialysis treatments at DaVita, then chances are you may have received a data breach notification letter in the mail or one is on its way out to you. Inside this data breach notification letter, you can find out exactly what data on you was exposed as a result of the breach. However, you're going to want to hold onto this letter as DaVita is providing free access to one of the best identity theft protection services for a set amount of time. I say this as the sample data breach notification letter (linked above) that I looked at doesn't say a specific time frame but usually, companies provide access to one of these services for either 12 or 24 months. Don't worry though, as your own letter will definitely include the exact timeframe. In this case, DaVita is offering impacted individuals access to Experian IdentityWorks. While we haven't reviewed this particular identity theft protection service yet, it is considered a reliable and worthwhile service. Inside your data breach notification letter, you'll find a code which you can use to activate your IdentityWorks subscription. However, you will need to do so by November 28th of this year if you wish to claim this free offer. If your Social Security number or other stolen data is used to commit fraud or identity theft, IdentityWorks has experts standing by to help you regain any lost funds or to restore your identity. In fact, the plan offered by DaVita includes up to $1 million in identity theft insurance. Besides signing up for this identity theft protection service, you're also going to want to keep a close eye on your financial accounts for signs of fraud and if you're really worried, you can also freeze your credit so that hackers or scammers with your stolen information can't take out loans in your name. Likewise, you're going to want to be extra careful when checking your inbox, text messages and even when answering the phone. The reason being is that your stolen information could be used in targeted phishing attacks. In addition to DaVita, the Interlock ransomware gang has also gone after other healthcare organizations in previous data breaches including Texas Digestive Specialists, Kettering Health and Naper Grove Vision Care back in May. Given that the pace and scope of the group's attacks seem to be increasing, I don't see them slowing down anytime soon. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button. More from Tom's Guide 200,000 passwords, credit card data and more stolen by this dangerous new malware Email security features are being hijacked to steal Microsoft 365 logins Google just fixed two high-severity Qualcomm bugs used by hackers in their attacks Solve the daily Crossword
Tom's Guide
3 days ago
- Health
- Tom's Guide
Over 900,000 hit in massive healthcare data breach — names, addresses and Social Security numbers exposed online
Hackers and especially ransomware gangs have been on a rampage targeting and attacking healthcare organizations this year. Now, one of the largest dialysis providers in the U.S., DaVita, has fallen victim to a massive healthcare data breach. As reported by Comparitech, the kidney dialysis company DaVita has revealed that it suffered a data breach earlier this year when hackers gained unauthorized access to servers, primarily located in its laboratories. While DaVita became aware of this security incident in mid-April, the hackers behind the attack first gained access to its systems on March 24. During which time, they stole all sorts of sensitive personal, financial and medical data. DaVita hasn't come out and said which hackers are responsible but after news of the breach was made public, the Interlock ransomware gang took credit for the attack, claiming it managed to steal 1.5TB of data including 683,104 files and 75,836 files according to a previous report from Comparitech. Whether you, a family member or someone you know gets dialysis treatment at one of DaVita's centers, here's everything you need to know about this latest data breach along with some tips on how you can stay safe and what to do now. Now that the dust has settled and DaVita has carried out a full investigation into the security incident, the company has begun sending out data breach notification letters to affected to DaVita's latest notice (PDF), the following patient data was stolen in the breach: It's worth noting that the types of stolen data are different for all impacted individuals. While some people may have had all of the data listed above stolen in the breach, this may not be the case for everyone. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. If you or someone in your household gets dialysis treatments at DaVita, then chances are you may have received a data breach notification letter in the mail or one is on its way out to you. Inside this data breach notification letter, you can find out exactly what data on you was exposed as a result of the breach. However, you're going to want to hold onto this letter as DaVita is providing free access to one of the best identity theft protection services for a set amount of time. I say this as the sample data breach notification letter (linked above) that I looked at doesn't say a specific time frame but usually, companies provide access to one of these services for either 12 or 24 months. Don't worry though, as your own letter will definitely include the exact timeframe. In this case, DaVita is offering impacted individuals access to Experian IdentityWorks. While we haven't reviewed this particular identity theft protection service yet, it is considered a reliable and worthwhile service. Inside your data breach notification letter, you'll find a code which you can use to activate your IdentityWorks subscription. However, you will need to do so by November 28th of this year if you wish to claim this free offer. If your Social Security number or other stolen data is used to commit fraud or identity theft, IdentityWorks has experts standing by to help you regain any lost funds or to restore your identity. In fact, the plan offered by DaVita includes up to $1 million in identity theft insurance. Besides signing up for this identity theft protection service, you're also going to want to keep a close eye on your financial accounts for signs of fraud and if you're really worried, you can also freeze your credit so that hackers or scammers with your stolen information can't take out loans in your name. Likewise, you're going to want to be extra careful when checking your inbox, text messages and even when answering the phone. The reason being is that your stolen information could be used in targeted phishing attacks. In addition to DaVita, the Interlock ransomware gang has also gone after other healthcare organizations in previous data breaches including Texas Digestive Specialists, Kettering Health and Naper Grove Vision Care back in May. Given that the pace and scope of the group's attacks seem to be increasing, I don't see them slowing down anytime soon. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
Time Out
26-06-2025
- Time Out
Revealed: the London borough with the most surveillance cameras
Living in a huge metropolitan city like London, there's always someone looking at you. Usually it's just one of the nine million other people who live in this city, but sometimes, it's Big Brother. It's estimated that there are nearly 130,000 public CCTV cameras across the capital kitted out and ready to observe, but some places are more populated by them than others. Tech research company Comparitech have been crunching the numbers, and they've discovered which borough in London has the most surveillance cameras. But first, where does the Big Smoke rank globally? It turns out that we are the 12th most watched city in the world, with Hyderabad in India taking the crown (outside of China). London also has the third most cameras of any European city per person, beaten only by Moscow and St Petersburg. But where actually are these cameras? Well, you're most likely to be being surveilled in the City of London, where there are just over 75 cameras per 1000 people. This is a significant amount more than the average across Greater London, where there's only 13 for every 1000 people. Because the City is such a densely packed part of the capital – famously known as 'the Square Mile' precisely because of its small area – there's a much higher concentration of cameras dotted around this borough than any other. This is likely in part because, being home to St Paul's Cathedral, the Bank of England, and many other important buildings, the City has got a lot of goods to guard, and a lot of money that can go towards funding security systems. Surprisingly, Comparitech said that they found 'little correlation' between the number of CCTV cameras and the crime rates in an area, meaning that all that surveillance might not be doing much to deter criminals anyway. Whether more security cameras make you feel safer, or just a little bit uneasy, it's unlikely that we'll see a future where there's less of them than there are now. However, if you really don't want to be caught on camera, it might be best you stay away from the City of London.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘This is a wake up call' Cyber security expert weighs in on City of Abilene cyber attack
ABILENE, Texas ()- On Friday, April 18th, 2025, The City of Abilene became aware of a cyber attack on city computer systems. Now, more than a month later, the investigation into that attack is ongoing, and an alleged deadline has come and gone the city stating no intention to pay any would-be ransom for the stolen data. KTAB/KRBC sat down with Cybersecurity expert and CEO of CyberCatch, Sai Huda, for insight into how attacks like this one have played out in the past and what might lie in the city's future. 'This is a wakeup call for the City of Abilene,' Huda said. Despite today's deadline, City of Abilene says they still won't pay ransom in cyberattack The City has been relatively quiet on the matter as investigation has been conducted but that's not without reason. Because this attack involves data theft and security measures, city staff is exercising an abundance of caution to mitigate the extent of the attack within city systems and prevent the investigation from becoming compromised. With that in mind, lets discuss what we know so far. What is a Ransomware attack? How has the City responded? What is at risk? What can we do now? This kind of malicious software is something that Huda is quite familiar with, telling KTAB/KRBC that it is not uncommon for an entity such as the City of Abilene to be targeted by such an attack. 'Very typical these days where the attackers, the bad actors, install the ransomware into the system, shut down file systems. But while they do that, they also are able to make a copy of valuable data and exfiltrate that. In other words, transmit that out, and then they'll use that to threaten the victim. In this case, the city of Abilene and say, hey, pay this ransom by this deadline. Otherwise, we will not only leave you encrypted and so you won't be able to access any file systems, but also will start to sell that data on the dark web or release it publicly in increments to embarrass you. And it's all about really money at this point,' said Huda. Cyber Security watchdog group, Comparitech published a research article into the Abilene Cyber attack in which they were able to identify the Russian-based ransomware group Qilin as having claimed responsibility for the attack. City of Abilene doesn't dispute report of cyber attack ransom from Russian ransomware gang In that same article, Comparitech states that Qilin mainly targets victims through phishing emails to gain access to computer systems and introduce the malicious software. The group claiming responsibility for 25 confirmed ransomware attacks in 2025 to date. Seven of which were against government entities all across the U.S. An initial news release put out by the City of Abilene states that, 'upon receiving reports of unresponsive servers City staff began immediately executing the incident response plan in place. Affected servers and critical assets were disconnected from the network to mitigate further spread of the attack. And an investigation with 'industry-leading cybersecurity experts' was launched. Cyber incident disrupts City of Abilene's network systems, including phones Since that day the City IT department has been working to restore affected city services and minimize downtime. Some systems were taken offline intentionally out of an abundance of caution, again to mitigate spread. While the city has neither confirmed nor disproven the claims of an alleged ransom placed on the data and deadline of May 27th, 2025 to pay that ransom. A statement was put out by the City of Abilene saying, 'the City of Abilene administration reiterates that it has decided no ransom will be paid related to the cyber incident that began on April 18, 2025. The city administration has collaborated closely with cybersecurity experts and legal counsel to reach this determination.' Huda says that he feels this was the right decision for the city to make as he has seen similar situations play out to undesirable outcomes when the ransom is paid. 'I think the city is doing the right thing which is not to pay the ransom because then that's sort of paying for bad behavior. you're rewarding for bad behavior,' Huda going on to say, 'some of the victims, which include cities, have paid the ransom simply because they've done a cost benefit analysis and said, you know what? It's gonna cost us this much money and time to recover when the impact is so severe. So let's just pay the ransom, get the decryption keys, unlock the files, and, you know, we're going to have to have a good faith that these guys will not sell that data. They'll destroy it. So some of them, unfortunately have paid. But, we're seeing a trend now which is positive that they're not paying the ransom.' Huda stating that even if the city decided to pay the ransom there is no guarantee that the stolen data would have been released. 'And a lot of times the ransomware gangs actually will go away. All of a sudden they're gone they've taken the ransom payment. They haven't provided the decryption keys and they certainly haven't destroyed the data. So, you know, they're really not trustworthy to begin with. And so why reward them?' Huda said. With an entity like the City of Abilene that has connections to businesses, non-profits, and direct interaction with individuals, the data that was targeted could span a wide range of fields as Huda explained. 'In this case City of Abilene's customers. They could be businesses they could be individuals and as much information about them as possible,' said Huda. In his professional opinion, Abilene may have become a more high priority target for cyber attacks due to recent increased notoriety through the announcement of the A.I Project Stargate. 'The City of Abilene has now appeared, if you will, big time on the map. The project Stargate, which is the largest investment in A.I in US history, which entails building this massive data center at City of Abilene, is really of importance to these bad actors. But imagine all the people that are already involved in that project. So the construction people, the different suppliers, there are high value targets for these bad actors because maybe they can be ransomed or maybe their data could be used to infiltrate other valuable information about the data center. And when it comes online, that becomes even more valuable,' Huda said. While there is currently no evidence to believe that Stargate and the Lancium clean compute facility played a factor in the ransomware gang's decision to target Abilene, Huda says the sheer amount of data and information that are involved in the venture are no doubt of high value to bad actors. 'So plans, designs, how those chips are being made, where they're being shipped to. What volume of chips are being made, what types? That's a really strategic importance. And so, you know, these these that actors in this case might be a criminal gang, but, you know, they may be supported by adversary nation states such as Russia,' suggested Huda. As the City continues to investigate and address the attack that has already happened, Huda says businesses and individuals should be taking a cybersecurity inventory to defend against potential future attacks, data loss, and identity theft. 'So first of all, businesses should be proactive right now and think that they possibly could be attack, target and therefore put some measures in place. So like an incident response plan, which is basically a plan that says, hey, can we recognize a potential incident happening? And if we do, can we quickly come together and prevent that ransomware, for example, from infecting all of our computers?…Backup files should be regularly backed up. They should be offsite, offline, inaccessible to the ransomware, because frequently the ransomware will actually be programed to hunt for those backup files,' Huda said. Huda advised individuals who may have been impacted by the attack to check their passwords and consider changing any passwords that are linked to City of Abilene accounts. Stating also that passwords should be varied between different accounts and not be made simple or easy to guess. As far as any potential fallout from this attack for Abilene citizens, Huda says to be on guard for identity theft and keep a close monitor on all financial or banking accounts you utilize. 'Individuals should, number one be paying attention to their credit reports. Put a credit monitoring alert on. Maybe put some credit freezes but be especially on guard for potential identity theft. That could happen not necessarily from this gang, but, you know, other gangs, other criminals that they may sell that data to who may perpetrate that type of fraud, which is identity theft. Open up credit cards, open up bank loans, different types of other expenses, you know, using the identity of the consumer. So that's the risk to the consumer,' said Huda. Prior to this report, KTAB/KRBC reached out to the City of Abilene with a list of questions. City staff stated that they are actively working to gather the relevant information, but were unable to respond in time for this report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
City of Abilene doesn't dispute report of cyber attack ransom from Russian ransomware gang
ABILENE, Texas () – A report from Comparitech claims that a Russian ransomware group has taken responsibility for the cyberattack targeting the City of Abilene. The city has acknowledged this new information but hasn't confirmed or denied its validity. Cyber incident disrupts City of Abilene's network systems, including phones Back in April, city officials announced that a cyber incident had disrupted Abilene's internal network, leaving several servers unresponsive. On May 19, Comparitech reported that the ransomware group known as Qilin claimed to have stolen 477 GB of data from the city and is demanding a ransom payment by May 27, 2025. While the exact amount of the alleged ransom is unknown, the City of Abilene shared its firm stance: it will not pay. 'The City of Abilene has been working with cyber security professionals since the incident began on April 18th and, given their expert direction along with adherence to the City's organizational values and standards, determined the payment of any kind of ransom to criminal entities of this sort would not take place,' the city shared. Federal authorities investigating Abilene cyber attack, certain services still impacted According to Comparitech, Qilin has threatened to publicly release the stolen data if the city does not comply. The group has reportedly posted sample files as proof, including tax documents and other government records allegedly taken from city servers. Due to the ongoing investigation, officials say they're still limited in what they can publicly disclose. 'The City of Abilene understands that various aspects of functionality across several departments and services have been affected by the network outage that followed the cyber incident, and we sincerely apologize for the frustration and disruption this has caused. Our employees are working diligently to serve our community, with all essential needs like emergency response, water, and solid waste continuing operations throughout this time. We greatly appreciate everyone's patience and understanding,' the city shared. City of Abilene files Catastrophe Notice due to cyber attack City officials say more details will be released as they become available and once the investigation concludes. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
