ShinyHunters Leaks 10.9M Email Addresses Stolen from Abbott's Cancer Diagnostics Business

Abbott's cancer diagnostics business, Exact Sciences, was the target of a vishing attack by ShinyHunters, an extortion crew. The hackers were able to gain access to a limited number of internal systems and stole 10.9 million email addresses, along with personal and health information. The breach includes names, email and physical addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, genders, and personal health information belonging to customers, patients, and healthcare providers.

Abbott first disclosed the break-in on July 16 and has been analyzing the data to determine who needs to be notified. The company has stressed that only a limited number of internal systems within its cancer diagnostics business were affected, with no disruption to products, manufacturing, laboratory operations, or patient services.

ShinyHunters has taken credit for the breach and claimed that Abbott had failed to reach an agreement and should have paid the ransom. The exact nature of the ransom demand is unclear, but it is evident that the hackers are seeking financial gain from the stolen data.

The breach has significant implications for the healthcare industry, particularly in the area of data security. It highlights the need for companies to prioritize data protection and to have robust systems in place to prevent such breaches from occurring in the future.

Have I Been Pwned, a database that tracks data breaches, has added the Exact Sciences breach to its database. This will allow individuals to check if their email addresses have been affected by the breach and take steps to protect their personal information.