36 '(&(0%(5_+($/7+&$5(5$',86
IT
1 BY RAJESH MAURYA
Cyber trends
going into 2019
It’s critical that we understand the threat landscape
and cyber security ecosystem in order to prioritise
security procedures and vulnerabilitiesT
he biggest motivator for cyber-
criminals to target healthcare is
the high black-market value of pa-
tient records and the ability to ma-
nipulate and take apart the data elements
within those patient records for individual
sale. In a typical patient record, you have
PII (personally identifiable information)
address, demographics, and potentially bill-
ing information. You also have a provider/
insurance number. These can be sold by
malicious actors to submit false Medicare
claims, falsify identity for prescriptiondrugs, or to sell as a patient profile on the
dark web in order to get medical services.
From a value standpoint, paediatric re-
cords typically have a higher value because
malicious actors and black market buyers
know they can use this information longer
without being discovered, as this type of
fraud is not usually identified until the
child is 18 and begins to transact on their
own. This shows forethought on the part
of cybercriminals selling this information
in knowing that there will be more value
in records that can be maintained longer