WHEN YOUR PERSONAL HEALTH INFORMATION IS COVERED WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?

Personal health information collected by healthcare organizations is increasingly the target of cyber-attacks. So much so that while credit card data and personal information is sold for $2 on the black market, health data can be sold for up to $363. He said medical records are very valuable because cybercriminals can exploit medical conditions to target people by reporting their ailments via email, phone or text message. Alev Akkoyunlu, Operations Director of Laykon Bilişim, the Turkish distributor of Bitdefender Antivirus, lists the measures that can be taken against health data breaches that are experienced around the world and negatively affect citizens.

Personal health information collected or created by healthcare organizations attracts a lot of attention from cyber criminals. According to the Infosec Institute, credit card data and personal information sell for $1-2 on the black market, while health data can sell for up to $363. A major reason for this is that the person’s personal health history, consisting of illnesses, surgery records, and other conditions, cannot be changed, while credit card information can be easily canceled. Alev Akkoyunlu, Operations Director of Laykon Bilişim, the Turkish distributor of Bitdefender Antivirus, said medical records are very valuable because cybercriminals can take advantage of medical conditions and use them to attack people through their inconvenience via email, telephone or email. to indicate SMS. It lists the measures that can be taken against health data breaches that adversely affect health data.

What do hackers do with citizens’ health data?

Hackers, who have access to citizens’ medical histories, can blackmail people with stolen health records, make false insurance claims, use stolen health records for themselves to obtain medical care, or sell this data to someone else to gain access to illegal prescriptions. Hackers can sometimes take advantage of people’s health insurance with the health data they stole. Citizens can face high bills for the health services that they did not get for themselves, or even a wrong treatment method can be applied to them because their health information has been altered by hackers. Citizens who are prone to diseases are more likely to believe in phishing attacks with their ailments and fall into the trap of hackers. Alev Akkoyunlu, who says he is stepping up efforts to increase the cyber resilience of healthcare institutions in particular, argues that healthcare institutions’ data should be at least as well protected as the data of companies in the financial sector and the right corporate security products should be preferred.

What can you do to protect your personal health information?

1. Beware of suspicious links. Beware of spam, suspicious links, and attachments allegedly sent from hospitals, treatment centers, and insurance companies. Always trade from official sites.

2. Use strong passwords. Use unique, strong passwords and enable two-factor authentication for all your accounts.

3. Delete accounts you don’t use. Delete as many old and unused accounts as possible. The more sites owning your data, the more likely your information is exposed.

4. Use digital identity protection. By using strong digital identity protections, you know what is known about you, whether you have been affected by a breach, and what to do or avoid if your data is leaked.

5. Do not respond to questionable communication requests. Do not respond to requests to verify sensitive information, such as passwords, payment details, cold calls, or urgent text requests for personal information.

What should you do if your health and other personal information is the result of a data breach?

1. Find out what information of yours has been accessed without panicking. If the data breach organization reveals what personal information has been used and how much, follow this carefully.

2. Keep in mind that each of your passwords must be unique. If you repeatedly use a password for multiple accounts, a possible data breach could allow hackers to gain access to any account where you use that password.

3. Inform your bank.If Your Financial Information Has Been Compromisedcancel your card and check your statements for unusual transactions by alerting your bank to the possibility of fraud.

4. Also warn your family members.Friends who can use the same service or applicationwarn them and take action.

Source: (BYZHA) – Beyaz News Agency