Reading Room
Risk to patient safety from cyberattacks critical, even as specifics about direct links remain elusive
SC Media, September 9, 2021
Critical attacks against health care thrived in the last year. Now, as patient volumes continue to surge in some parts of the country, safety concerns grow increasingly dire.
And yet, say experts, specific data that clearly demonstrates the impact of cyberattacks on patient care remains elusive. This reality, in fact, further complicates an already complex effort among health care providers to establish technology plans and processes that put patient safety and care first.
Cyber Vulnerability is Healthcare’s Modern Malaise
ET Healthworld, September 8, 2021
The healthcare industry makes for an easy target for malicious actors, given its relative nascency to cyber threats and the resultant lax cybersecurity practices.
Listen: How ransomware put the health sector on notice
SC Media, September 8, 2021
Ransomware is not new in a sense that malware can encrypt files and do bad things, said Eric Decker, a chief information security officer in the health care industry. But around 2015 or 2016, he said organized crime began to leverage it as a tool in far more disruptive and destructive ways.
Why ransomware attacks in healthcare remain a problem – and how to stop them
SC Media, September 8, 2021
If data has value, then electronic health records are a treasure trove. Today’s emboldened and ever-more-sophisticated cyber criminals know this. With many healthcare organizations again stretched thin to address raising COVID-19 case counts, there’s little doubt that we will see a steady drumbeat of new ransomware attacks, building on the record number so far this year.
Healthcare Ransomware Attack in CA Involves PHI of 57K
Health IT Security, September 7, 2021
San Andreas Regional Center in California experienced a healthcare ransomware attack that may have exposed the PHI of over 57,000 individuals.
The Ideal Ransomware Victim: What Attackers Are Looking For
KELA, September 6, 2021
In July 2021, KELA observed threat actors creating multiple threads where they claimed they are ready to buy accesses and described their conditions. Some of them appear to use access for deploying info-stealing malware and carrying out other malicious activities. Others aim to plant ransomware and steal data.
Beaumont Health Latest Victim of Accellion Data Breach
Health IT Security, September 3, 2021
Nearly nine months after the Accellion data breach, Beaumont Health in Michigan joined a list of over 11 healthcare organizations impacted by the cyberattack.
Why “Ransomware Insurance” Causes Healthcare Industry to Overlook Deeper, Underlying Security Issues
CPO Magazine, September 2, 2021
In most circumstances, insuring your organization against potential threats is a solid idea. Within this frame of logic, particularly for a healthcare organization, a sector where 34% of all organizations were hit by ransomware last year, insurance may seem like a good investment.
How ransomware runs the underground economy
CSO, August 31, 2021
Ransomware gangs are adopting all the core elements of legitimate businesses—including defined staff roles, marketing plans, partner ecosystems, and even venture capital investments—and some hallmarks of more traditional criminal enterprises.
CISA Releases Guidance on Protecting PII From Ransomware Attacks
Health IT Security, August 30, 2021
CISA released a fact sheet on protecting PII from ransomware attacks in light of recent high-profile cyberattacks that put personal data in jeopardy.