Reading Room
Navajo Nation hospital the latest victim of brutal wave of ransomware attacks
Yahoo.com, March 3, 2021
When Rehoboth McKinley Christian Health Care Services in Gallup, New Mexico, was hit with a cyberattack earlier this year, the hospital’s staff had to revert to pen and paper to keep things running.
Read full Navajo Nation hospital ransomware attack article on Yahoo.com.
Universal Health Services Estimates $67 Million in Ransomware Losses
Info Security Magazine, March 2, 2021
A ransomware attack on Universal Health Services (UHS) last autumn cost the company an estimated $67 million in downtime and related expenses, it has revealed.
The Fortune 500 healthcare organization has tens of thousands of employees in the US and UK and annual revenues exceeding $10 billion.
CIS Launches No-Cost Ransomware Service for U.S. Hospitals
Center for Internet Security (CIS), February 18, 2021
The nonprofit Center for Internet Security announced this week that it had launched a no-cost ransomware protection service for private hospitals in the United States. The Malicious Domain Blocking and Reporting service, which is already available for public hospitals, health departments and healthcare organizations, uses Enterprise Threat Protector software from the cybersecurity vendor Akamai to proactively identify, block and mitigate targeted threats.
Hackers Dump More Health Data, as Feds Share Ransomware Factsheet
Health IT Security, February 8, 2021
The Conti ransomware hacking group recently released two massive healthcare data dumps tied to Leon Medical Centers and Nocona General Hospital on the dark web for sale. The leaks follow a newly released National Cyber Investigative Joint Task Force (NCIJTF) ransomware factsheet.
The National Cyber Investigative Joint Task Force Releases Ransomware Fact Sheet
FBI.gov, February 4, 2021
The National Cyber Investigative Joint Task Force (NCIJTF) has released a new joint-seal ransomware fact sheet. This educational product is intended to provide the public important information on the current ransomware threat and the government’s response, as well as common infection vectors, tools for attack prevention, and important contacts in the event of a ransomware attack.
Dead System Admin’s Credentials Used for Ransomware Attack
Healthcare Info Security, January 28, 2021
Operators of the Nefilim ransomware used the credentials of a deceased system administrator to plant their crypto-locking malware in about 100 vulnerable systems during one attack, according to a recent report published by security firm Sophos.
Texas Medical Center Breach Affects 640,000
Data Breach Today, January 22, 2021
An apparent ransomware incident at a Texas healthcare organization has potentially compromised the protected health information of more than 640,000 individuals.
CISA Launches Campaign to Reduce the Risk of Ransomware
Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), January 21, 2021
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) announced the Reduce the Risk of Ransomware Campaign today, a focused, coordinated and sustained effort to encourage public and private sector organizations to implement best practices, tools and resources that can help them mitigate this cybersecurity risk and threat.
560 Healthcare Providers Fell Victim to Ransomware Attacks in 2020
Health IT Security, January 19, 2021
In 2020, Emsisoft data shows 560 healthcare provider facilities fell victim to ransomware attacks, of an overall 2,354 US entities hit by the malware variant.
FBI Warns Egregor Ransomware Actors Actively Extorting Entities
Cybersecurity News, Janury 7, 2021
A Wednesday FBI private industry notification warns entities that the threat actors behind Egregor ransomware are actively targeting and exploiting a range of global businesses.