"No, it's all right sir, we don't morally censure, we just want the money.."
Posted on 05/07/2009 10:37:24 AM PDT by KJC1
$10M ransom payment, or hackers will post Virginians' private files
The FBI is on the trail of hackers who claim to have accessed the personal information of millions of Virginians. They're holding the information hostage, and are threatening to dispurse the sensitive data on the Internet if they don't receive a $10 million ransom.
The hacker or hackers posted the ransom note on "Wikileaks," a Web site that allows for anonymous tips about leaks of government information. The note claims that the personal information came from a raid on a state agency's computer database, and that the hackers are now in possession of 8 million patients' records, as well as 35 million prescription records. Those records may include Social Security numbers.
Investigators have reason to believe the threats from hackers may be credible; The Virginia Department of Health Professions has confirmed that there was an incident last Thursday where a hacker may have breached system servers.
"We take this very seriously," Virginia Department of Health Professions Director Sandra Whitely Ryals said. "That's why we took immediate steps to shut the system down, to secure the system, and to safeguard people's information."
Experts say these types of databases are always at risk.
(Excerpt) Read more at nbcwashington.com ...
Yikes. The headline alone is disturbing.
scary!
Yeah, the title is really pathetic, but it is an interesting article.
And with every new incident, you have another layer of defense.
Obama’s Fault!
dumb. they won’t get the money, because they will just ask for more. i suppose with the dems in charge anything’s possible
I suspect Obama knows who they are.
"No, it's all right sir, we don't morally censure, we just want the money.."
Yes, I know. Digitalized medical records.
That’s...uh...the real headline, isn’t it? Whoa...
EXACTLY why there should never be any databases online.
Maybe the hacker's should re-phrase their demands and express it in terms of a "bailout". Then they could collect billions.
I always knew that someday, someone would find out about my colonoscopy.
I would not ransom these blighters a cent. Who can believe them that they have erased all copies of the data. They should be hunted down like the terrorists they are. Obama hates torture, but perhaps we could shut them in Gitmo with 24-hour recordings of Hillary speeches until they crack.
One thing the states could use IMHO is honey pots. Easily cracked and heavily tracked troves of misleading information.
Shutting the system down after the ‘attack’ is much like closing the barn door after the horses get out isnt it?
When I brought this to the attention of my favourite security geek, he said it was fairly common for this to happen. For some reason, this case is getting more press than the others.
Death penalty.
Hey Chuck, is your shift key broken?
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