- Group of ameos hit by cyber restlessness
- Confidential information of patient, employee and partner, all lost in the attack
- Users warned that they are on guard in case of threats or scams
The main European health provider Ameos Group has confirmed the suffering of a cyber attack in which he lost confidential information of patients, employees and partners.
In a brief announcement recently published on its website, the company said that despite the “extensive” security measures, it could not avoid “brief” access to its IT systems.
During that “brief” exit, the attackers stole data belonging to patients, employees and partners, as well as contact data related to individuals or companies. Ameos did not discuss the data, so we do not know how extensive the contact details are, or if the health or payment information had been stolen.
A warning for patients
“It cannot be ruled out that these data can be misused online or make accessible to third parties, potentially to the detriment of those affected,” the company emphasized.
Nor do we know how many people are affected by the attack, still. However, AMEOS is a fairly large medical care provider, so it is sure to assume that this is an important incident.
The organization has 18,000 staff members in more than 100 hospitals, clinics, rehabilitation centers and elderly homes, operating in Central Europe, in Switzerland, Germany and Austria, and is one of the largest groups of private hospitals in the largest region of Dach, counting more than 10,000 beds and with an annual income that exceeds $ 1.4 billion.
It is safe to assume that the number of affected people will be published after a more exhaustive investigation.
Ameos concluded his announcement by saying that he took all the usual steps after an incident like this: he disconnected his networks, closed his IT infrastructure to contain the damage, brought to experts of IT and third -party forensic, reinforced the existing security measures, notified the police and the relevant government authorities.
Finally, he urged customers to distrust the incoming electronic emails:
“Attackers can use data such as email addresses to involve it in fraud schemes. Be careful with unauthorized, excessive or suspicious -looking ads in their entry tray.”
Through Bleepingcomputer
