The Change Healthcare data breach affecting more than 190 million patients, stands as the largest single breach ever affecting patients. Threat actors known as BlackCat (aka AlphV) had reportedly used a set of stolen credentials to remotely access the company’s systems that weren’t protected by multifactor authentication. Confronted with a massive breach, UnitedHealth decided to…
Category: Commentaries and Analyses
Six months after discovering an attack, Northwest Radiologists notifies almost 350,000 Washington State residents
On January 20, 2025 Mt. Baker Imaging and Northwest Radiologists in Washington State (collectively, “Northwest Radiologists”) experienced a network intrusion that they discovered on January 25. Although media reported on the incident on January 27, it was not until March 26 that Northwest Radiologists posted a notice on its website (archived). DataBreaches could find no…
As ransomware gangs threaten physical harm, ‘I am afraid of what’s next,’ ex-negotiator says
Jessica Lyons reports: Ransomware gangs now frequently threaten physical violence against employees and their families as a way to force victim organizations into paying their demands. According to a survey of 1,500 security and IT professionals conducted by Censuswide on behalf of security firm Semperis, digital intruders are still holding more traditional threats of system lockouts (52…
WA: Cyber-attacks problem for small hospitals
We often hear about the challenges rural hospitals face in preventing and responding to cyberattacks. Here’s an article that provides some numbers for context. Don Gronning reports: Small hospitals have been a target of cyber criminals, hospital district CEO Kim Manus told Pend Oreille Hospital District No. 1 commissioners at their regular meeting Thursday, July…
Canadian cybercriminal sentenced to a year in prison for NFT theft scheme
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Canadian was sentenced yesterday to a year in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit aggravated identity theft. According to court documents, in May 2022, Cameron Albert Redman, 22, of Mississauga, Ontario, formed a scheme to steal non-fungible tokens (NFTs) by gaining unauthorized access to…
Scattered Spider Hijacks VMware ESXi to Deploy Ransomware on Critical U.S. Infrastructure
Ravie Lakshmanan reports: The notorious cybercrime group known as Scattered Spider is targeting VMware ESXi hypervisors in attacks targeting retail, airline, and transportation sectors in North America. “The group’s core tactics have remained consistent and do not rely on software exploits. Instead, they use a proven playbook centered on phone calls to an IT help desk,” Google’s…