Star Health Insurance's sensitive customer data leaked on Telegram chatbots, raises concerns

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Telegram just weeks after the Telegram Founder was accused of allowing the messenger app to facilitate crime, news agency Reuters reported on Friday, September 20.The alleged creator of the chatbots told a security researcher, who alerted the agency of the development. According to the report, the private details of millions of people were for sale, and samples could be viewed by asking the bots to disclose them.Star Health and Allied Insurance told Reuters in a statement that the company reported alleged unauthorized data access to local authorities.

The company disclosed in an initial statement that "no widespread compromise" happened and that “sensitive customer data remains secure".According to the report, the agency downloaded policy and claim documents featuring names, phone numbers, addresses, tax details, copies of ID cards, test results, and medical diagnoses using chatbots.The feature enables users to create chatbots and has made Telegram one of the biggest messenger apps, with 900 million active monthly users, reported the agency.Using chatbots in Telegram to sell stolen data shows the app's difficulty in preventing criminal agents from taking advantage of its technology. According to the report, this also highlights the challenges Indian companies face in keeping their data safe.UK-based researcher Jason Parker said that the Star Health chatbots feature a welcome message stating they are "by xenZen" and have been operational since August 6.Parker posed as a potential buyer on an online hacking forum, where a user under the alias xenZen said that they made the chatbots and possessed 7.24 terabytes of data related to over 31 million Star Health customers, reported the agency.