Medibank hackers release 1500 more sensitive medical records

Hackers who have accessed the data of nearly 10 million Medibank customers are claiming to have released the biggest tranche of sensitive data on the dark web yet, in an escalation of their attempt to force the company into paying a ransom.

Medibank confirmed on Sunday morning that another 1500 customer records had been released on the dark web over the weekend involving sensitive health conditions.

The private health insurer said four files containing 1,496 records were released, of which 123 records had already been released. The material is being analysed to determine its accuracy, as previous files released by the hackers have not matched Medibank’s records.

The hack is the worst in Australian corporate history. Over the past few weeks, hackers have drip-fed sensitive health information about Medibank customers on the dark web in an attempt to pressure the company into paying a $10 million ransom fee.

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Medibank chief executive David Koczkar said on Sunday those who had been impacted were being offered support. The company has increased its customer support team by more than 300 people.

“Anyone who downloads this data from the dark web, which is more complicated than searching for information in a public internet forum and attempts to profit from it is committing a crime,” he warned.

“Again, I unreservedly apologise to our customers. We remain committed to fully and transparently communicating with customers and we will continue to contact customers whose data has been released on the dark web.”