Another major US healthcare tech firm fell victim to increased cyberattack campaigns, exposing the company's private medical data to hackers.
First reported by Bleeping Computer, HealthEquity confirmed in a recent SEC filing that it suffered a data breach earlier this year after one of its business partners' account and personal device were compromised.
HealthEquity claimed to have quickly isolated the incident with no "material adverse effects" to its business operations, although the hackers were reportedly able to access "personally identifiable information" from some of its members.
The healthcare fintech firm did not disclose the exact numbers of affected customers and partners from the cyberattack nor the identity of the "unauthorized third party."
HealthEquity is one of the biggest health savings account services in the US, providing health insurance and savings services to millions of Americans.
The company has already notified all affected individuals, including "complimentary credit monitoring and identity restoration services."
More Healthcare Firms Become Targets of Cyberattack Campaigns
The cyberattack on HealthEquity is only part of a growing trend of cyberattacks on healthcare providers over potential financial gain.
Just earlier this year, one of the biggest healthcare ransomware incidents was reported after UnitedHealth Group's IT subsidiary was targeted, crippling multiple healthcare operations for days.
Later investigations revealed that the cyberattack likely affected at least one-third of Americans through various medical establishments and pharmacies UnitedHealth provides its services.
CEO Andrew Witty confirmed that the company had to pay the hackers, BlackCat, $22 million to recover all the sensitive medical records.
A few weeks later, several more healthcare firms in North America and Europe reported ransomware attacks with threat actors primarily targeting their medical records.
FBI: Ransomware Incidents on the Rise
Healthcare fintech firms are not the only financial establishments currently facing increased ransomware attacks as hackers employ more sophisticated methods to target their next victims.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation earlier noted a huge increase in reported ransomware attacks this year, many of which targeted critical infrastructure and services in the US.
While most of the attacks were focused on healthcare firms, manufacturing and government agencies have also suffered a surge in ransomware incidents.
The bureau has since vowed to ramp up efforts to combat and crack down on these cybercrime operations along with other international cybersecurity agencies.
