Sometimes you think your PHI have escaped a ransomware attack…. but they may not have as this notification from Northwest Rheumatology reminds us. On April 10, 2017, Northwest Rheumatology (“NW Rheumatology”) experienced a ransomware incident which left a limited portion of its computer system encrypted and inaccessible. NW Rheumatology immediately contacted its computer security vendor…
Category: Malware
Hackers Target the Bottom Line: Business Operations and Earnings
Derek Borchardt and Craig A. Newman of Patterson Belknap write: Over the past several years, we have witnessed a fundamental shift in orchestrated cyber-attacks from hacking credit card data and healthcare information to targeting businesses, their operations and bottom lines. Last month, companies across the globe were hit by the so-called “Petya” ransomware attack, as…
DDoS Extortionist Who Posed as Anonymous Hacker Arrested in the US
Catalin Cimpanu reports: On Friday, US authorities arrested a man on charges of launching DDoS attacks and making death and bomb threats against several targets including Leagle.com, the Sydney Morning Herald, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), Metro News Canada, the official website of the Canadian government, and others. The man’s name is Kamyar Jahanrakhshan, a…
Ransomware: Canadian company pays $425,000
Luke Irwin writes: A Canadian organization has reportedly paid criminals $425,000 in bitcoin after its systems were crippled in a ransomware attack. The claim comes from Daniel Tobok, CEO of forensic firm Cytelligence, which he says is helping with the investigation. Tobok, speaking to IT World Canada, didn’t name the affected company, but said unpatched…
Teenage computer hacker jailed for Malware attacks on Microsoft and Sony has prison sentence reduced
There’s an update in the case of Adam Mudd, the U.K. teenager behind the profitable TitaniumStresser. Matthew Lennon reports: A teenage computer hacker who carried out attacks on Microsoft, Sony and Cambridge University from his bedroom has had his prison sentence reduced. West Herts College student Adam Mudd, now 20, committed the crimes from his bedroom at…
Nuance says majority of clients back online after Petya cyberattack
As Nuance continues to attempt to restore services following the Petya attack in June, it’s interesting to note their conclusion that this was not a reportable breach under HIPAA.