Covid-19 patient’s blood reports, health history, plasma infusion details are now available and sale on the darknet. They can be accessed by banks and insurance companies, which can then call if the patient is offered a loan, or if they find out what their credit history is, or, if they later go for insurance, what their premium should be.
Also warned against possible identity thefts in several Covid-19 patients Aadhaar details along with their blood reports, case histories, and plasma infusion details are all now available on the darknet.
“Hackers gain massive access to data from hospitals and diagnostic centers. In some cases, they can just buy from them, ”said Srinivas Kodalli, a researcher for India’s free software movement who has tracked data leaks.
Not only are medical organizations at risk, but researchers have already identified threats targeting people seeking access to the vaccine, and even that personal data is being sold on the DarkNet. As the vaccine spreads to the masses and the value of personal data increases, we can expect cybercriminals to seize the opportunity to profit.
Patients are not insured against personal risks
For people seeking a vaccine, cyber threats take a different form. We have already seen numerous attacks targeting those who were waiting for information about the timing and criteria for vaccination. These threats manifest as watering hole attacks, where phishing websites, fake emails or portals are tricked into targeting vulnerable consumers. Once on these sites, consumers are asked to enter sensitive information in the hope that they are one step closer to receiving the vaccine. However, this personal information is then delivered directly to the hackers. From there, hackers take data and sell it on the Darknet forums, offering broad promises from hacking accounts to stealing identity to the highest bidder on the Internet.