A security firm has recently released information on a group of Chinese cyber spies who have made their way into the United States health care industry database and has stolen everything from trial data to trade secrets.
According to one of the security consultants, the group has infiltrated a US pharmaceutical company by hacking into the database of a firm that it was about to acquire. In other cases, these hackers were able to access pharmaceutical labs by using connections in the research industry where they are able to acquire Data from clinical trials and other trade secrets that the company may have. Most recently, their cyber theft spree has involved the unlawful acquisition of personal data from over 4 million patients that are being served by the Community Health Systems Inc., which is the second largest US hospital chain. Threat researcher for Dell SecureWorks, Aaron Shelmire, said that this might be the first time that this group has even singled out consumer data because he said that they are usually "going after the medical engineering side of things," Shelmire added that, "Over the past year, they have hit at least 18 different companies, and have hammered the healthcare sector really hard."
This new wave of cyber crimes has forced drug companies and medical technology firms too make huge investments in new computer security protocols. This is also threatening news for the United States medical device market as they are uncertain how the pilfered data could affect their $160 billion industry down the line.
United States security experts say that the thefts coincide with China's booming medical technology and medical device industries that are expected to grow 20% annually between 2013 and 2017. JD Sherry, Vice Pres. Of Trend Micro Inc., said that, "They're looking for IP, trade secrets, to manufacture these things in China and get the market looking and smelling what the market in the US."
