Hacker demands ransom from India’s largest health insurer after data leak
India’s biggest health insurer, Star Health, faces legal challenges and internal investigations following a ransom demand and customer data breach, involving leaked tax details and medical claims.
Star Health, India‘s largest health insurer, has revealed it received a $68,000 ransom demand following a data breach that exposed customer details, including medical records. The cyberhacker used Telegram chatbots and a website to leak sensitive information, leading to significant reputational damage and a drop in the company’s stock value.
The hacker, who made the ransom demand in August, sent the request to Star Health’s managing director and CEO. While the company has launched an internal investigation, it also faces allegations that its chief security officer was involved in the data leak, although no evidence of wrongdoing has been found so far.
Star Health has taken legal action against both the hacker and Telegram, which has not permanently banned the accounts linked to the hacker. The company has sought help from Indian cybersecurity authorities to identify the individual behind the attack.
Telegram has not responded to requests for comment but previously removed the chatbots linked to the hack after Reuters brought them to its attention. The investigation continues as Star Health works to contain the damage from the breach.
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