McKesson Supplies 1 in 3 Hospital Prescriptions. Now It’s Responding to a Cyberattack Linked to 284 Million Records
Experts say the wide scope of the healthcare supplier makes it a particularly attractive target for criminals.
McKesson just became the latest healthcare supplier to confirm a major data breach.
Last week, in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the healthcare and pharmaceutical giant disclosed that it discovered “a cybersecurity incident affecting its information systems.”
McKesson supplies roughly one-third of all prescription medicines used by hospitals, pharmacies, and healthcare clinics across North America. Additionally, the company provides medical equipment, supports cancer treatment and specialty care programs, and operates the Health Mart pharmacy franchise.
Its wide scope is exactly what makes
Its wide scope is exactly what makes a company like McKesson such an attractive target federal CTO at ColorTokens. “Healthcare distributors occupy an unusually valuable position in the supply chain,” he told Inc
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What makes that position especially dangerous, he explained, is how permanent the exposure can be. Unlike a stolen password or credit card number, “a patient cannot simply replace a diagnosis, treatment history, or prescription record.”
Robert Costello, the chief digital and information officer at Merlin Group, echoed that concern. “Healthcare organizations can hold some of the most sensitive information about people and operate across interconnected environments involving providers, pharmacies, insurers, manufacturers, and patients,” he told Inc.
“That information can be valuable for fraud, extortion, and targeted social engineering. Healthcare is larger, rich, and cyber-re more elements of patient care being networked.”
Source: www.inc.com
