As a seasoned researcher with over two decades of experience in cybersecurity, I must admit that I find the recent allegations against Star Health and its Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), Amarjeet Khanuja, nothing short of astounding. The intricacies of this case are reminiscent of a high-stakes cat-and-mouse game, with each revelation raising more questions than answers.
The Star Health data breach situation is unexpectedly escalating, even though it appeared the issue was about to be resolved.
At present, the firm is under scrutiny due to accusations regarding its potential role in a data leak that impacted over 31 million of its clients.
As per assertions from a hacker known as “xenZen”, it is alleged that the company’s Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), Amarjeet Khanuja, illegally sold around 7.24 terabytes of customer data to him for approximately $150,000.
Last week, I came across a revealing post by Deedy, a ex-Googler, detailing an intriguing incident. On July 6, 2024, as a crypto investor keeping tabs on such developments, I learned that Khanuja had engaged in a confidential discussion with a hacker over an encrypted messaging platform. This interaction was not just casual chitchat; it was actually a negotiation for the sale of customer data. Fascinating stuff!
In our agreement, they and I decided on a starting fee of $28,000 for the data transfer, carried out via Monero. Once the transaction was completed successfully, Khanuja provided xenZen with login information and API access, enabling the hacker to retrieve the data.
Approximately two weeks after that, it was alleged that Khanuja proposed to provide access to claims data in exchange for an extra $15,000. This action contradicts his responsibilities and the company’s established security procedures.
Following the discussion, it was revealed that Khanuja subsequently sought an increase in the agreement by asking for an extra $150,000 to maintain the hacker’s ongoing access to the company’s system.
Translating that into simpler terms, “According to Khanuja’s explanation, ‘You’ve stolen 5TB and I now demand $150k because higher-ups in Star Health’s leadership want a piece of it.’ This statement has raised doubts about whether other top officials at Star Health’s management could also be implicated in the data breach.
According to XenZen’s statement, the leak originated from Star Health and Allied Insurance Company, who provided the data to him personally.
Nevertheless, the firm asserted it had been the target of a “deliberate harmful cyber intrusion” and maintained they played no part in data transactions. They also stated all their activities continued as usual.
Nevertheless, this allegation puts a spotlight on the company’s security measures and practices. Star Health is currently conducting a investigation with independent cybersecurity experts to determine the full extent of the breach.
In August 2024, it was disclosed that the stolen data was being traded on Telegram via chatbots. At first, Health Corporation claimed that there was no extensive breach of confidential client information. However, recent findings seem to contradict this statement.
Read More
Sorry. No data so far.
2024-10-10 21:40