There are different metrics for describing the impact of a breach, but one of the ones I use in my subjective system is whether patient data that might be needed for care have been lost, stolen, or corrupted. In June, there were a lot of data breaches or security incidents and many involved ransomware. One…
Category: Malware
Crime Group Behind ‘Petya’ Ransomware Resurfaces to Distance Itself From This Week’s Global Cyberattacks
Dell Cameron reports: Janus Cybercrime Solutions, the author of Petya—the ransomware initially attributed with Tuesday’s global cyberattacks—resurfaced on Twitter late Wednesday, seemingly offering to help those whose files can no longer be recovered. The altruistic gesture, even if it does prove fruitless, is uncharacteristic of the criminal syndicate that launched an underworld enterprise by placing…
TX: Calallen ISD networks hit by ransomware attack
Sam Parris reports: Calallen Independent School District officials have confirmed that their networks were recently affected by a so-called ransomware cyberattack. Information Technology (IT) staff at the district first noticed the issue Sunday morning, reporting problems with the district’s email system. They then discovered that malware (malicious software similar to a virus, trojan or worm),…
Bad news: NotPetya may be something far worse than ransomware
Jack Morse reports: Is ransomware still ransomware if its goal is purely to destroy? This is less if-a-tree-falls hypothetical and more sobering reality for the untold number of people across the globe whose computer systems have been infected with the NotPetya ransomware. That’s because the latest digital scourge to cripple computer networks in 65 countries…
Major cyber attack disrupts businesses around world
Eric Auchard, Jack Stubbs and Alessandra Prentice report on the newest worldwide threat. Expect there to be a lot more coverage on this as more information becomes available: A cyber attack wreaked havoc around the globe on Wednesday, crippling thousands of computers, disrupting operations at ports from Mumbai to Los Angeles and halting production at…
Airway Oxygen notifies 500,000 patients after ransomware attack
Earlier this month, Purity Cylinder/Airway Oxygen in Michigan reported a breach to the Vermont Attorney General’s Office. According to their notification, on April 18, they discovered that ransomware had been installed on their network. There was no evidence, they say, that any protected health information was actually accessed or acquired, but they notified those who…