Patient Confidentiality at Risk: The Cybersecurity Breach at Dra. Andrea Rechia Clinic
Incident Date:
April 25, 2024
Overview
Title
Patient Confidentiality at Risk: The Cybersecurity Breach at Dra. Andrea Rechia Clinic
Victim
Dra. Andrea Rechia
Attacker
Qiulong
Location
First Reported
April 25, 2024
Ransomware Attack on Dra. Andrea Rechia Clinic by Qiulong Group
Overview of the Victim
The Dra. Andrea Rechia clinic, a renowned plastic surgery center in Santa Maria, Brazil, has been a prominent name in the field for over 15 years. Specializing in both aesthetic and surgical treatments, the clinic is dedicated to enhancing patient self-esteem and body image. Services range from skin treatments for wrinkles and discoloration to comprehensive surgical procedures targeting various body parts.
With a strong emphasis on patient care and privacy, the clinic has built a reputation for its attentive and respectful approach. However, this reputation is now under threat due to a severe ransomware attack attributed to the Qiulong ransomware group.
Details of the Ransomware Attack
The Qiulong ransomware group, known for its activities primarily in Latin America, has recently targeted the Dra. Andrea Rechia clinic. The attack has led to the unauthorized access and encryption of sensitive data, including patient photographs, personal information, financial records, and non-disclosure agreements. The leaked data reportedly amounts to 30 GB, with a 2GB sample publicly disclosed on the dark web.
This breach not only compromises the clinic's operational integrity but also severely impacts patient confidentiality, a cornerstone of the healthcare industry.
Vulnerabilities and Industry Impact
The clinic's high-profile status and the sensitive nature of its data make it an attractive target for cybercriminals. Factors such as potentially inadequate cybersecurity measures, the use of common communication tools like email and WhatsApp for transmitting sensitive information, and the storage of high volumes of personal data could have contributed to making the clinic a target.
The attack on Dra. Andrea Rechia clinic underscores the critical need for robust cybersecurity practices in the healthcare sector, particularly in specialized fields such as plastic surgery where patient confidentiality is paramount.
Sources
Recent Ransomware Attacks
The Recent Ransomware Attacks (RRA) site acts as a watchtower, providing you with near real-time ransomware tracking of attacks, groups and their victims. Given threat actors’ overarching, lucrative success so far, ransomware attacks have become the most ubiquitous, and financially and informationally impactful cyber threat to businesses and organizations today.
The site’s data is generated based on hosting choices of real-world threat actors, and a handful of other trackers. While sanitization efforts have been taken, we cannot guarantee 100% accuracy of the data. Attack updates will be made as source data is reported by reputable sources. By viewing, accessing, or using RRA you acknowledge you are doing so at your own risk.