In November 2021, Valley Mountain Regional Center (VMRC) notified HHS that multiple employees were the victims of a phishing scheme that compromised the protected health information (PHI) of 17,197 individuals. They notified HHS, affected individuals, media, and provided substitute notice. HHS reports, “In its mitigation efforts, the Business Associate strengthened its technical safeguards to better…
Category: Blog
Hong Kong private hospital given 4 weeks to submit report over US$10 million ransomware attack
Cannix Yau reports: Hong Kong health authorities have told a private hospital it has four weeks to submit a detailed report after it was hit by a malicious cyberattack and refused to pay a US$10 million ransom. The Department of Health said on Saturday that it was investigating the incident at Union Hospital in Tai…
House votes in favor of curtailing government transactions with data brokers
Suzanne Smalley reports: The House passed a bill on Wednesday that would rein in the government’s ability to buy information about Americans from data brokers without a subpoena or warrant, with the vote coming in the face of intense backlash from Biden administration officials over national security concerns. The Fourth Amendment is Not for Sale Act,…
Ie: Authorities investigating ransomware attack on charity that works with vulnerable children
The Journal reports: A police investigation has been launched after a charity that works with vulnerable children suffered a data breach in a ransomware attack. Extern, a cross-border social justice charity with offices in Belfast and Co Kildare, has confirmed that it has been the victim of a large ransomware cyber attack. One source told The…
MGM Resorts sues FTC, agency chair over cyberattack investigation
It’s not the first time a big hospitality chain has pushed back against the Federal Trade Commission in an investigation over a data breach, but it’s happening again. Richard N. Velotta reports that MGM Resorts International has sued the FTC and its top officer, Chairwoman Lina M. Khan. The lawsuit claims the regulator violated the…
‘Large-scale cyberattack’ hits five French municipalities, impact may last ‘months’
Alexander Martin reports: Five municipalities near the river Loire on the west coast of France have been hit by a “large-scale cyberattack” on their shared computer servers, leaving staff without the ability to access documents or get on with their work. Services are currently down across Saint-Nazaire, Montoir-de-Bretagne, Donges, La Chapelle-des-marais and Pornichet, according to…