FBI Investigates Cyberattack at Oracle

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is leading an investigation into a cyberattack at technology giant Oracle, which has resulted in the theft of patient data from healthcare providers. According to a person familiar with the matter, reported by Bloomberg News, the breach occurred when hackers gained unauthorized access to Oracle's servers sometime after January 22, and copied sensitive patient information to an outside location.

Oracle alerted some healthcare customers earlier this month that they had been targeted in the cyberattack, which was allegedly aimed at extorting medical providers in the United States. The company did not specify how many patient records were compromised or which healthcare providers were specifically targeted by the hackers.

The FBI declined to comment on the matter, while Oracle has remained silent on the issue. The report highlights the significant implications of this breach, particularly given Oracle's recent acquisition of Cerner Corp, a US$28 billion deal that bolstered the company's presence in the electronic health record sector.

With over 16 billion dollars in contracts with the US Department of Veterans Affairs, the purchase is considered highly publicized and has drawn scrutiny from lawmakers. However, the FBI is now investigating the breach, which occurred when hackers accessed older Cerner servers, taking data that had not yet been shifted to Oracle's cloud storage service.

Oracle became aware of the breach around February 20, according to the report. The company's acquisition of Cerner has likely increased its exposure to healthcare clients on its cloud platform, making it a prime target for cyberattacks. As the investigation unfolds, concerns about patient data protection and cybersecurity will continue to be at the forefront.