A day after U.S. federal agencies warned of an “imminent” ransomware threat to hospitals, it’s an all-hands-on deck mentality for a health sector already strained by the coronavirus pandemic.
Private threat briefings are being held for hospital executives, federal officials are appealing for more data on the cybercriminals and hospitals are hardening their computer networks.
The defensive measures follow an advisory Wednesday from the FBI and departments of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services that cybercriminals were deploying Ryuk ransomware to disrupt IT networks and extort hospitals. It was a stark warning, even for a health care sector accustomed to pandemic-era cyberattacks: Medical organizations are being singled out by capable crooks.
While the federal agencies did not name victim organizations, the announcement coincided with suspected ransomware attacks this week on hospitals in New York, Oregon and Vermont, and perhaps other states.
The American Hospital Association, which includes 5,000 health care organizations, is in close touch with government agencies in an effort to disseminate threat data to hospitals across the country, said John Riggi, the association’s senior adviser for cybersecurity and risk.
Riggi, a former senior FBI official, urged health care providers to back up their data and expedite patching of technology accessible via the internet. “Hospitals should also be prepared to re-route patients to hospitals outside their area if there is a simultan ..
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