In a joint alert, the FBI and two federal agencies warned that they had “credible information of an increased and imminent cybercrime threat to US hospitals and healthcare providers”. The alert said malicious groups are targeting the sector with attacks that produce “data theft and disruption of healthcare services”.
Faiz Shuja, Co-Founder and CEO, SIRP Labs, said: “Since the start of the pandemic we have repeatedly seen cybercriminals launching attacks against hospitals. The advisory from the FBI simply underlines the serious nature of this threat. Ryuk ransomware is a particular favourite method of attack and, sadly, at least one death has resulted from the disruption this causes to essential medical services.
“When ransomware strikes, Hospital Security Operations Centres (SOCs) have mere minutes to respond. Swift identification of threats and a capacity to respond rapidly are vital. For this reason, we recommend organisations pursue a risk-based approach to their cybersecurity. The aim is to provide security analysts with context about the nature and severity of alerts so they can quickly make informed judgments and minimise the potential for services disruption.”
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