Psychotherapy centre's database hacked, patient info held ransom

Moonhorse

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May 29, 2018
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A blackmailer demanding money from a group of psychotherapy centres has released more highly sensitive personal information about more than 200 of its patients.
The blackmailer is demanding that Vastaamo pay 40 bitcoins in order to halt the release of more patient data. The cryptocurrency sum corresponds to about 450,000 euros.
The perpetrator claims to have information on 40,000 patients. The company says it has tens of thousands of customers but has not confirmed how many of them may have been affected by the data hack.
Source: Psychotherapy centre's database hacked, patient info held ransom

There is latest news about this case too from today
Source2: Extortionist publishes more sensitive data on psychotherapy centres’ patients

Its big case on Finland, so i decided to post it here as it wont be publicly available anywhere else probably
 

upnorth

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Therapy clinic Vastaamo has fired its CEO Ville Tapio in the wake of a disastrous data breach which has seen patients’ personal details, as well as notes of what has been discussed in confidential therapy sessions, exposed.
An investigation has uncovered that the database of customer details and therapy session notes was first breached in November 2018, but there was another security breach in mid-March 2019 which apparently CEO Ville Tapio knew about but – for reasons best known to himself – did not inform the appropriate authorities or with other members of Vastaamo’s board.
 

upnorth

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On 27 October, the Helsinki District Court remanded one person in absentia on probable cause of aggravated computer break-in, attempted aggravated extortion, and aggravated dissemination of information violating personal privacy. The National Bureau of Investigation requested the remand in connection with the criminal investigation of the hacking incident committed against Psychotherapy Centre Vastaamo. The police provided information on the case for the first time in October 2020.

The police have established that the suspect currently resides abroad. For this reason, he was remanded in absentia. A European arrest warrant has been issued against the suspect. He can be arrested abroad under this warrant. After that the police will request his surrender to Finland. An Interpol notice will also be issued against the suspect, who is a Finnish citizen and about 25 years of age.
 

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