 |
| American hospitals are being targeted by ransomware attacks |
The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) has warned US hospitals, healthcare providers, and public health institutions that they are at risk of cybercrime due to ransomware attacks.
Ransomware disrupts computer systems and prevents hospitals, health care providers, and public health groups from providing medical services.
At least four US hospitals have reported cyberattacks this week, and hundreds of thousands could be at risk. There appears to be an escalation in similar attacks on hospitals and other medical facilities.
"This is probably the biggest attack we've ever seen," said future record analyst Alan Lesca (Alan Lesca).
The attack came as US hospitals grappled with a sudden spike in coronavirus cases.
Ransomware attacks disrupt hospital computer systems, often forcing hospitals to switch to paper records, and sometimes preventing them from accessing the systems needed to run tests or examine patients.
The sudden rise in the number of coronavirus patients has slowed hospitals down and forced some places to leave patients. Cyber attacks could make the situation worse.
In recent years, these attacks have increased steadily, and experts have repeatedly warned that the systems used by medical institutions are at risk.
Security experts believe that the current attack on American hospitals was caused by a Russian-speaking organization (UNC1878).
They are financially motivated, Mandiante's chief technology officer, Charles Karmakal, told Reuters.
Some cyber criminals have vowed to bypass hospitals during the coronavirus pandemic, but the attacks continue.
Last month, Universal Health Services, a chain of hundreds of hospitals across the United States, was hit by a cyberattack.
A woman died in Germany. This is believed to be the first death that was directly attributed to a cyber attack on a hospital.