According to a recent article in Federal Computer Week, foreign criminal hackers are targeting American health records.
Mark Walker of DHS Critical Infrastructure Protection Division recently told a National Institute of Standards and Technology workshop that the hackers' primary motive seems to be espionage. For example, any health problems among the nation's leaders would be of interest to potential enemies, he said.
Walker cited two events from 2007. In one, a virus was placed on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site. In another, there was a known data breach in the Tricare records for the Military Health System.
Obtaining sensitive personal information about persons in key positions and then blackmailing them in return for information is a tactic probably more widespread often than many people realise!
