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Virginia Department of Health Professions Receives Extortion Demand

Posted by Kara Reeder May 5, 2009 10:12:32 AM

According to InformationWeek, the Virginia Department of Health Professions has received an extortion demand for $10 million to return more than 8 million patient records and 35 million prescriptions that have allegedly been stolen.

 

The note reads,

"ATTENTION VIRGINIA I have your sh**! In *my* possession, right now, are 8,257,378 patient records and a total of 35,548,087 prescriptions. Also, I made an encrypted backup and deleted the original. Unfortunately for Virginia, their backups seem to have gone missing, too. Uhoh : ("

The information was apparently taken on April 30, and the note demands the money within seven days or else the hacker with sell the information to the highest bidder.

 

The Virginia DHP has not commented on the demand, but has acknowledged that its site

"is currently experiencing technical difficulties which affect computer and e-mail systems."

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