{"id":68162,"date":"2017-01-20T15:33:52","date_gmt":"2017-01-20T23:33:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/securingtomorrow.mcafee.com\/?p=68162"},"modified":"2025-08-14T07:35:20","modified_gmt":"2025-08-14T14:35:20","slug":"healthcare-data-cybercrime","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/privacy-identity-protection\/healthcare-data-cybercrime\/","title":{"rendered":"Doctoring Data: Why Cybercriminals Have Their Eye on Healthcare"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fun fact: your healthcare data is worth roughly 10 times as much as your credit card number. Well, to a cybercriminal at least. Why the value increase<\/a>, you may ask? Insurance fraud\u2014and a lot of it. Which translates to a lot of billing for fake treatments and stolen prescriptions. And before you write that off as someone else\u2019s problem, remember the ramifications of stolen health data last longer and have a deeper effect than any other kind of stolen data.<\/p>\n

So why does this kind of theft have such a powerful effect? First off, these transactions end up on your medical records, which could potentially result in a mistaken diagnosis, incorrect treatment, unnecessary delays\u2014the list goes on. But the true value behind healthcare data not only lies behind the reaping of these tangible benefits, but in the data\u2019s longevity.<\/p>\n

Credit card companies can detect fraud and cancel a card in the blink of an eye. Healthcare data, however, connects policy numbers to employee numbers, which are difficult to change, leaving the control out of the hands of the insurer. Adding to this longevity is ambiguity. Is that an MRI for your arm, or fraud? Did you ask for this prescription, or did a cybercriminal? It\u2019s impossible to know. Not to mention, it\u2019s extremely difficult for providers to be able to determine fraud while still complying with HIPAA<\/a>.<\/p>\n

And though most healthcare attacks are against hospitals or insurance companies<\/a>, that doesn\u2019t mean that these attacks won\u2019t directly impact you and your personal data. Additionally, that doesn\u2019t mean that your personal devices won\u2019t be targeted for compromise of this kind of healthcare data as well\u2014as the increase in healthcare apps makes that data so readily available. And with the complications from this kind of breach seeming endless, it\u2019s up to you to start taking preventative measures now, to protect yourself from this emerging type of identity theft.<\/p>\n

For starters, here are a few tips and best practices to follow:<\/h2>\n