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US Healthcare companies on high cyber-alert

While the assassination of health insurance CEO Brian Thompson on the streets of central New York last week has been grabbing headlines this month, life-endangering cyber-attacks on the US healthcare industry are escalating at an alarming rate. Once again, the pressing need for both IT and physical security could not be more clear. According to John Riggi, national advisor for healthcare security and risk at the American Hospital Association, healthcare security must now be seen as far more than just an IT issue. This year has seen what amounts to a sea change in the way healthcare executives must view not only their own personal security but also the impact of cyber-attacks not only on their bottom line but also on the lives and well-being of patients.

BlackCat Attacks on Healthcare Sector

BlackCat gives go-ahead for healthcare attacks

Following actions taken against the infamous BlackCat ransomware group in December by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the cybercriminal gang has warned it is taking off the gloves in its fight with law enforcement. BlackCat previously took pride in regularly announcing that it does not encourage or support affiliates who target crucial sectors such as healthcare. But this approach has changed radically since the end of 2023. “Since mid-December 2023, of the nearly 70 leaked victims, the healthcare sector has been the most commonly victimized. This is likely in response to the ALPHV Blackcat administrator’s post encouraging its affiliates to target hospitals after operational action against the group and its infrastructure in early December 2023,” said the FBI.

Surgeon extortion

Plastic surgeons and patients targeted in extortion rackets

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) warns that cybercriminals and online blackmailers are targeting plastic surgeons to harvest electronically protected health information (ePHI) on their patients. Personal ePHI includes sensitive information and photographs, enabling the cybercriminals to extort money from the patients themselves as well as from plastic surgery practices, something that could prove lucrative to blackmailers targeting wealthy celebrities who are in the public eye.

American Red Cross

Unknown threat actor targets the US Red Cross

The cyber-war just got dirtier. A year or two back, an age in cyber-years, even the most ruthless cyber-gangs avoided attacking medical facilities to create a better public image in the eyes of the hacker community. Their stance has weakened somewhat since then, with attacks on the health sector becoming more common. But a recent attack on the US Red Cross is unusual enough to ring alarm bells outside the cybersecurity community.

Healthcare sector attacks on the rise

The healthcare sector is coming under increasingly severe pressure from cyber-attacks. On the heels of news earlier last week that the infamous Lazarus Group is launching a new campaign targeting internet backbone infrastructure and healthcare facilities in the US and Europe comes news of a major attack by the Rhysida ransomware group on Los Angeles-based Prospect Medical Holdings.

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