DataBreaches.Net

Menu
  • About
  • Breach Notification Laws
  • Privacy Policy
  • Transparency Report
Menu

Negotiating with health care hackers

Posted on May 21, 2024 by Dissent

Ben Leonard and Chelsea Cirruzzo of Politico report:

YOU’VE BEEN HACKED. NOW WHAT? Health care companies are retaining help — often from Silicon Valley — to manage ransomware attacks.

The debilitating breaches at Change Healthcare, owned by UnitedHealth Group, in February and Ascension last month come as the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency warns of a specific ransomware service targeting health care organizations — and have led cybersecurity experts to advise the sector on reducing risk.

UnitedHealth Group and Ascension hired cybersecurity firms — Mandiant, a subsidiary of Google; Palo Alto Networks’ Unit 42; and CYPFER — after the breaches. The ransomware experts declined to comment on their roles in negotiating for the companies. But Pulse spoke with ransom negotiators and cybersecurity experts about what happens when they’re called in to negotiate on behalf of a health care company.

The comments from the professionals Politico spoke to is exactly what the government doesn’t encourage victims to do — pay:

Paying the ransom is usually the only way to secure stolen information and restore access to encrypted systems, according to Minder and Bailey. Ransomware negotiators communicate with bad actors to hammer out how much they’re willing to pay.

“The data they stole is so highly sensitive and confidential that you’re willing to pay the ransom in hope that they’ll give it back and not destroy it or publish it,” Bailey said.

UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty told Congress earlier this month that the company paid a $22 million ransom to protect stolen patient data.

“Even the organizations that have great backup strategies end up having to pay because the restoration process would take so much time,” Minder said. “It is so complicated, and when you’re talking about patient well-being, that puts an additional pressure on it. They can’t wait to see if their backup strategy is going to work.”

Politico’s article does not remind people that the firms they spoke to make money from negotiating ransoms.  And it does not discuss the alternative:  having a usable backup that can be used to restore. Or all the reports that even decryptors do not result in all data being decrypted and restored quickly. It’s a shame Politico didn’t at least mention all the countervailing reports and recommendations.

 

Category: Blog

Post navigation

← UK to propose mandatory reporting for ransomware attacks and licensing regime for all payments
More than one year later, New Jersey school district reveals data breach with sensitive info →

Now more than ever

"Stand with Ukraine:" above raised hands. The illustration is in blue and yellow, the colors of Ukraine's flag.

Search

Browse by Categories

Recent Posts

  • Masimo Manufacturing Facilities Hit by Cyberattack
  • Education giant Pearson hit by cyberattack exposing customer data
  • Star Health hacker claims sending bullets, threats to top executives: Reports
  • Nova Scotia Power hit by cyberattack, critical infrastructure targeted, no outages reported
  • Georgia hospital defeats data-tracking lawsuit
  • 60K BTC Wallets Tied to LockBit Ransomware Gang Leaked
  • UK: Legal Aid Agency hit by cyber security incident
  • Public notice for individuals affected by an information security breach in the Social Services, Health Care and Rescue Services Division of Helsinki
  • PowerSchool paid a hacker’s extortion demand, but now school district clients are being extorted anyway (3)
  • Defending Against UNC3944: Cybercrime Hardening Guidance from the Frontlines

No, You Can’t Buy a Post or an Interview

This site does not accept sponsored posts or link-back arrangements. Inquiries about either are ignored.

And despite what some trolls may try to claim: DataBreaches has never accepted even one dime to interview or report on anyone. Nor will DataBreaches ever pay anyone for data or to interview them.

Want to Get Our RSS Feed?

Grab it here:

https://databreaches.net/feed/

RSS Recent Posts on PogoWasRight.org

  • The App Store Freedom Act Compromises User Privacy To Punish Big Tech
  • Florida bill requiring encryption backdoors for social media accounts has failed
  • Apple Siri Eavesdropping Payout Deadline Confirmed—How To Make A Claim
  • Privacy matters to Canadians – Privacy Commissioner of Canada marks Privacy Awareness Week with release of latest survey results
  • Missouri Clinic Must Give State AG Minor Trans Care Information
  • Georgia hospital defeats data-tracking lawsuit
  • No Postal Service Data Sharing to Deport Immigrants

Have a News Tip?

Email: Tips[at]DataBreaches.net

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

Contact Me

Email: info[at]databreaches.net

Mastodon: Infosec.Exchange/@PogoWasRight

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

DMCA Concern: dmca[at]databreaches.net
© 2009 – 2025 DataBreaches.net and DataBreaches LLC. All rights reserved.