The US is recording a wave of phishing attacks using artificial intelligence: an AI voice impersonates a tax consultant or IRS agent to steal personal information, social security numbers, bank details, and logins.
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One of Illinois’ largest private ambulance services, MedEx, has been hit by a massive cyberattack that exposed the information of 118,418 people, including Social Security numbers, passports, and medical records.
The incident occurred in 2024 but was only made public now after an internal investigation was completed and a report was submitted to the Maine Attorney General’s Office. On March 18, MedEx’s system went down due to a detected network breach, prompting the company to bring in outside cybersecurity experts and conduct an in-depth review.
According to the results of the inspection, a wide range of information was stolen:
Despite the lack of evidence of abuse, MedEx is providing victims with a free year of credit monitoring and identity theft protection.
MedEx, headquartered in Skokie, Illinois, serves the region with more than 80 ambulances and more than 375 employees. But in the US, the infrastructure of medical institutions remains a target for hackers, as the sector often neglects modern cybersecurity standards. Similar attacks have already paralyzed hospitals in London, and have also affected giants such as Ascension Health (5.6 million victims) and UnitedHealth (100 million people affected).
The scale of the attack on MedEx is another warning about the critical vulnerability of emergency care systems. Insufficient protection can cost not only privacy but also lives. It’s time to finally move cybersecurity in healthcare from an “optional” to a “must.”
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