World News – GB – Ransomware surge puts hospitals at risk as pandemic escalates

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November 1, 2020

by Rob Lever

Hackers step up attacks on healthcare systems with ransomware in the US and other countries, creating new health care risks as global coronavirus pandemic accelerates

Alerts from US authorities and security researchers highlight wave of cyber attacks on hospitals facing increase in viral infections

An unusual warning this week from the FBI with the departments of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services, highlighted the threat

The three agencies « have credible information about an increased and imminent cybercrime threat to US hospitals and healthcare providers, » the alert issued on Wednesday said, calling on healthcare systems to « take precautions reasonable and timely to protect their networks against these threats »

One of them, the University of Vermont Medical Center, said in a statement Thursday that it was working with law enforcement on « a now confirmed cyberattack that has affected some of our systems « and which has had » varying impacts « on patient care

Daniel dos Santos of computer security firm Forescout said cash-strapped medical centers are particularly attractive targets for hackers, and at least 400 hospitals have been affected in recent weeks in the United States and in Great Britain

Hackers are aware that « healthcare is most likely to pay the ransom because its services are essential, » dos Santos said

For hospitals unable or willing to pay, « it would mean going back to pen and paper, which can lead to huge slowdowns, » he added

Forescout said in a report that while many hospitals have upgraded their computer systems, most use a variety of connected devices such as patient monitors or CT scanners which « act as the weak links in the network » because they transmit data over unsecured channels

Sign of impending problems, dos Santos and other researchers say they have discovered data on some three million American patients online, « unprotected and accessible to anyone who knows how to search for it », Says the Forescout report

Ransomware has been a long-standing security issue, and healthcare has been a frequent target A September attack disrupted Universal Health Services, which operates hospitals in the US and Britain

Researchers at security firm Check Point said their survey showed healthcare was the industry most targeted by ransomware, with attacks on U.S. vendors increasing 71% in October compared to last month

Check Point Said There Has Been A Significant Increase In Ransomware Attacks On Hospitals In Asia, Europe And The Middle East Also Globally, The Company Said Ransomware Attacks Have increased by 50% in the third quarter compared to the first half of this year

Many attacks use a strain of ransomware known as Ryuk, which security researchers believe may be linked to North Korean or Russian cybercriminals

The US government has warned that healthcare organizations are being targeted by phishing attacks to gain access to systems, with hackers using sophisticated tools, including TrickBot software, which can collect credentials and exfiltrate data

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The Government of Canada’s Cyber ​​Center issued a similar warning in early October, warning of Ryuk ransomware « affecting multiple entities, including municipal governments and public health and safety organizations in Canada and abroad »

« The ransomware problem keeps getting worse and a solution desperately needs to be found, » said Brett Callow of security firm Emsisoft

« We believe the solution is to ban payment of claims Ransomware only exists because it is profitable If the flow of money stops, attacks will stop and hospitals will no longer be threatened »

© 2020 AFP

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Ransomware, healthcare, cyber attack, computer security