Why Are Health Records So Valuable to Cybercriminals?

There has been this constant question in my mind about why healthcare records are so valuable to criminals and what would a criminal do by knowing the health history of some unknown persons.But here lies the answer to it.

Stealing EHRs is better for cybercriminals than stealing credit cards, which can be used only until the card expires, is maxed out or canceled.An EHR database containing PII that do not expire — such as Social Security numbers — can be used multiple times for malicious intent.Stolen EHR can be used to acquire prescription drugs, receive medical care, falsify insurance claims, file fraudulent tax returns, open credit accounts, obtain official government-issued documents such as passports [and] driver’s licenses, and even create new identities.”Another important statistic that helps explain why cybercriminals are attracted to EHR data is that 91 percent of the U.S. population has health insurance. It’s no wonder, then, that 113.2 million healthcare-related records were stolen in 2015

http://www.technewsworld.com/story/84417.html