Hacker XenZen Threatens CEO And CFO Of India’s Largest Health Insurer Star Health

A recent Reuters exclusive revealed that a hacker known as xenZen claimed responsibility for recent death threats made against top executives at Indian health insurer Star Health. Last year, the malicious actor leaked sensitive personal data from the company.

According to the report, xenZen contacted Reuters on March 31, sending the news agency an email with evidence of their recent actions. The hacker stated that they had sent two packages containing bullet cartridges—one addressed to Chief Executive Anand Roy and the other to Chief Financial Officer Nilesh Kambli.

Photos attached to the email showed the packages and a note that read: “next one will go in ur and ur peoples head. tik tik tik.”

xenZen claimed they took these actions after being contacted by Star Health customers who said the company had denied coverage for medical bills included in their insurance plans.

Last year, the hacker demanded a $68,000 ransom from Star Health after gaining access to  31.2 million datasets, including personal details and medical reports. Since then, the healthcare company has been facing criticism over its data security measures.

Reuters hasn’t been able to confirm the hacker’s identity, location, or the accuracy of the information shared in the email. However, the New Indian Express recently reported that Indian police are investigating threats linked to xenZen and the news agency confirmed that there’s an ongoing investigation.

Star Health’s chief legal officer told Reuters, in a statement, that they could not answer their questions “due to an ongoing, highly sensitive criminal investigation” related to the recent data leak.

This type of attack and threat against insurance company executives is particularly concerning following the death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December of last year. Before that, a major data breach targeting the healthcare system impacted over 100 million Americans.