Cyber Magazine March 2022 | Page 89

DIGITAL ECOSYSTEMS themselves , are often identity document numbers and scans , such as for passports and drivers ’ licenses . Auto insurance companies are another source of PII and other data points that criminals can use for fraud and other malicious purposes .
Attackers can also use already compromised PII from other sources to try to obtain more PII from insurers ’ automated quote tools , particularly for car insurance .
The report found that compromises at healthcare providers are a significant source of exposure for health insurance providers . Health insurance policy details are one of several types of data points that make healthcare providers valuable targets for criminals serving the fraud market . The compromised protected health information ( PHI ) in the patient records of hospitals , medical practices , and other healthcare providers often contains policy details that criminal buyers can use for insurance fraud , along with
the dates of birth and Social Security numbers that identity thieves can use for fraudulent credit applications . Attackers can also use already compromised PII from other sources to try to obtain more PII from insurers ’ automated quote tools , particularly for car insurance .
COVID-19

3 related attacks The COVID-19 pandemic has created many opportunities for attackers to exploit , particularly in their attacks on healthcare organisations , to whom this public health crisis is uniquely relevant . For example , the emergence of COVID-19 vaccination and testing records has created a new data set of patient records for attackers to target . The report found that the more frequent use of these PHI records for nonhealth purposes , such as employment , travel , and access to public places , has given attackers more opportunities to

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