Exposed to the Bare Bone: When Private Medical Scans Surface on the Internet
Over 1.2 Million Healthcare Devices and Systems Available on the Open Internet
New research by European cybersecurity company Modat reveals that misconfigured internet-connected devices are resulting in private information that can be accessed online. Confidential medical images, including MRI scans, X-rays, and even blood work results of hospital patients worldwide, are being exposed online due to cybersecurity vulnerabilities in healthcare networks and devices.
Examples of data being leaked in this way include brain scans and X-rays, stored alongside protected health information and personally identifiable information of the patient, potentially representing both a breach of patient’s confidentiality and privacy.
In the worst-case scenario, leaked sensitive medical information could leave unsuspecting victims open to fraud or even blackmail over a confidential medical condition.
Modat also worked with Health-ISAC to serve as a trusted responsible disclosure agent for the initial findings from this report. Health-ISAC publishes hundreds of Targeted Alerts every year to organizations globally warning them of high risks specific to their network — including things like vulnerable servers, cyber criminals selling access to their networks, stolen intellectual property, compromised credentials, exposed medical devices, open RDP ports and more.
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