McKesson Confirms Data Breach as Attacker Deadline Looms
McKesson, a major healthcare and pharmaceutical distributor, has been hit by a data breach, with the extortion group ShinyHunters threatening to release 284 million customer records unless the company negotiates a ransom payment. The breach involved stolen customer data, including sensitive medical and financial information, and the company is offering credit monitoring and identity protection services to affected individuals.
McKesson, a leading healthcare and pharmaceutical distributor, has confirmed a significant cybersecurity incident involving a data breach. The company disclosed the incident on August 25th, and subsequently confirmed that hackers had exfiltrated customer data from its systems. McKesson plays a crucial role in the North American healthcare supply chain, delivering approximately one-third of prescription medicines to hospitals, pharmacies, and clinics, and also providing medical supplies and supporting cancer treatment.
ShinyHunters, a notorious extortion group, has added McKesson to its Tor-based leak site and is demanding approximately $55 million in exchange for deleting the stolen data. The group claims to have stolen 284 million customer records, including personally identifiable information (PII), protected health information (PHI), medical and treatment information, prescription and billing records, employee records, and information about McKesson’s customer physicians and clinics.
McKesson’s services remain operational, and the company is offering complimentary credit monitoring and identity protection services to affected individuals. The company has not yet released specific details regarding the nature of the attack or the scope of the breach. SecurityWeek is seeking further clarification from McKesson regarding the hackers’ claims.