Excerpt from Business Standard Article, Published on Oct 14, 2024.
Star Health, India’s largest health insurer, has been hit with a ransom demand of $68,000 from a cyberhacker following a significant data leak involving sensitive customer information. The breach, which exposed tax details and medical records, has caused major reputational damage, with Star’s shares dropping by 11% since news of the hack broke on Sept. 20.
The hacker, using Telegram chatbots and a website, leaked customer data and sent a ransom email directly to Star’s managing director and chief executive. Despite multiple attempts by Star Health to get Telegram to take action against the hacker’s accounts, the messaging platform has yet to ban the hacker, known as xenZen.
Star Health, valued at around $4 billion, is actively investigating the breach and has taken legal measures to address the situation. The company has also sought help from Indian cybersecurity authorities to identify the hacker and bring the matter under control. Additionally, an internal investigation is underway to clear its chief security officer, Amarjeet Khanuja, who has been accused of involvement, though no wrongdoing has been found so far.
Telegram has removed the chatbots previously used to leak data, but its lack of full cooperation with Star’s requests has hampered efforts to resolve the issue. As the investigation continues, Star Health remains focused on restoring its credibility and ensuring the safety of customer information, while grappling with the ongoing effects of the data breach.
The Star Health data leak is a significant incident that highlights the increasing cybersecurity challenges faced by large companies and the growing need for proactive measures to safeguard sensitive information.
To delve deeper into this topic, please read the full article on Business Standard.
