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Star Health Faces $68,000 Ransom Demand Following Cyberattack
- Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
- Fact-Checked by Justyn Newman Former Lead Cybersecurity Editor
In a Rush? Here are the Quick Facts!
- The hacker leaked sensitive customer data through Telegram chatbots and a website.
- Star Health’s shares have dropped 11% since the data breach was reported.
- Telegram removed chatbots but hasn’t banned or identified the hacker.
India’s largest health insurer, Star Health, has been hit by a cyberattack, resulting in a data leak of confidential customer information. In response, the hacker has demanded a ransom of $68,000 from the company, as reported by Reuters .
The cyberattack has severely impacted the company, which has a market cap of approximately $4 billion, noted Reuters.
The ransom demand was made in an email sent to Star Health’s managing director and CEO in August, marking the first time the company has publicly acknowledged the threat.
This announcement follows a report by Reuters on Sept. 20 that detailed how a hacker used Telegram chatbots and a website to leak sensitive customer data, including tax information and medical claim documents.
Star Health, whose shares have dropped 11% since the breach was reported, has launched internal investigations and is pursuing legal action against both Telegram and the hacker, known as xenZen.
The incident highlights a broader issue in the healthcare sector. A recent global survey found that ransomware continues to be a major challenge , with hospitals and other healthcare facilities being particularly vulnerable to such attacks.
The hacker’s website continues to share samples of the insurer’s customer data, notes Reuters.
On Friday, Indian stock exchanges requested clarification from Star Health regarding a Reuters report suggesting that the company’s chief security officer, Amarjeet Khanuja, may have been involved in the breach.
Star denied these allegations, stating that their internal investigation has found no wrongdoing by Khanuja, though inquiries are ongoing, as reported by Reuters.
Despite multiple notices, Telegram removed the chatbots used by the hacker after Reuters reported them, but they have not provided account details or permanently banned the hacker’s accounts, reported Reuters.
Star Health is now working with Indian cybersecurity authorities to identify the hacker responsible, noted Reuters.
Photo by Bill Jelen on Unsplash
SpaceX Launches Fifth Starship And Catches Booster for the First Time
- Written by Andrea Miliani Former Tech News Expert
- Fact-Checked by Justyn Newman Former Lead Cybersecurity Editor
In a Rush? Here are the Quick Facts!
- SpaceX successfully launched its fifth test flight for Starship this Sunday
- For the first time, the company managed to bring back the Super Heavy booster in the launch tower’s arm
- The new catch-landing method will be used for upcoming missions
The American aerospace company SpaceX launched this Sunday its fifth test flight for its uncrewed rocket Starship, and, for the first time, caught the 233 foot—71 meters—tall Super Heavy booster back in the launch tower’s arm.
According to Reuters , the launch and reception took place in Texas at Tesla’s facility. The rocket Starship continued its way to space after detaching from its booster at an altitude of 40 miles—around 70 kilometers. To go back to the launch pad, the booster slowed down its fall by turning on again its 33 engines and slowly going back into the large metal arms of the base tower.
SpaceX shared the video on X with the booster’s path and the celebration of the historic engineering achievement, reaching over 33 million views.
Mechazilla has caught the Super Heavy booster! pic.twitter.com/6R5YatSVJX — SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 13, 2024
The NASA administrator, Bill Nelson, congratulated SpaceX on X : “As we prepare to go back to the Moon under Artemis, continued testing will prepare us for the bold missions that lie ahead — including to the South Pole region of the moon and then on to Mars.”
Starship is part of the company’s project to launch 5 uncrewed missions within the next two years before sending humans to Mars, announced last month.
According to the New York Times , SpaceX had experience bringing back the boosters, but they landed on a floating platform before. It’s the first time it goes back to the tower’s “chopsticks”, as the company nicknamed the mechanical arms. The company expects to use the same structure as a catch-landing method to bring back Starships as well.
Starship has improved over time since it was announced in 2017. During the first tests multiple rockets exploded, but in June the company completed a full flight for the first time. With this launch, the company improved its heat-shielding tiles—one of the challenges of the past launch.
