In a shocking data breach, Star Health, one of India’s largest health insurers, has had the private details of over 31 million customers exposed. Sensitive information, including names, addresses, phone numbers, medical reports, and more, is now accessible for free via Telegram chatbots. The breach has raised significant concerns about data security and privacy in India’s healthcare sector.
According to reports from Reuters, hackers have made the stolen data available through chatbots on the popular messaging platform, Telegram. Customers’ sensitive medical data, policy details, claims, and even medical diagnoses can now be downloaded by anyone using these bots. Some of the compromised documents are as recent as July 2024.
The user behind the data leak, operating under the alias “xenZen,” allegedly controls over 7.24 terabytes of data. Despite Telegram’s efforts to remove these bots after being alerted, new ones have emerged, continuing to offer the stolen data.
Star Health acknowledged the breach and is actively cooperating with law enforcement agencies to resolve the issue. The company assured customers that their privacy is a top priority and that there has been “no widespread compromise” of sensitive customer information, despite the massive leak.
This incident has sparked fresh debates about cybersecurity and the safety of personal health information in the digital age. With the breach impacting millions of customers, it has become one of the largest data leaks in India’s healthcare industry.
