On October 22, 2024, Microsoft issued a threat trend research report entitled “US Healthcare at risk: Strengthening resilience against ransomware attacks.” In it, Microsoft declares that ransomware attacks against the healthcare sector are “emerging as one of the most significant” cybersecurity threats to healthcare organizations. The attack surface of hospitals “grows more complex” with digital
Ransomware
HHS Settles with Doctors’ Management Services Over Ransomware Attack
By Linn Foster Freedman on
Posted in Privacy and Security
On October 31, 2023, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued a press release announcing that it has settled with Doctors’ Management Services for $100,000 following a ransomware attack that compromised the protected health information of 206,695 individuals.
According to the press release, “this marks the first ransomware agreement OCR has reached.” The facts underlying…
Privacy Tip – Health Care Sector Continues to Be Hit with Ransomware
By Linn Foster Freedman on
Posted in HIPAA, Privacy and Security
According to the 2022 State of Ransomware Report issued recently by Sophos, it surveyed 5,600 IT professionals from 31 countries, including professionals in the health care sector. Those professionals in the health care sector shared that 66 percent of them had experienced a ransomware attack in 2021, which was an increase of 69 percent over 2020. This was the largest increase of all sectors surveyed.Continue Reading Privacy Tip – Health Care Sector Continues to Be Hit with Ransomware
Warning to Hospitals of Imminent Threat Released by U.S. Government
By Linn Foster Freedman on
Posted in Privacy and Security
On October 27, 2020, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) warned the health care industry about “an imminent cybercrime threat to U.S. hospitals and healthcare providers.”
According to the warning, which was shared during a conference call, the government has received “credible information of an increased and imminent cybercrime threat to U.S. hospitals and healthcare providers.” The information was being shared with participants so that they can take timely precautions to protect their networks from the threat.
Continue Reading Warning to Hospitals of Imminent Threat Released by U.S. Government
Health Care Providers Continue to Be Hit with Ransomware and Phishing
By Linn Foster Freedman on
Posted in Privacy and Security
It doesn’t matter in which state you are located, how many patients you treat, what kind of medicine you practice or how many employees you have, if you are a health care provider, you are being targeted and hackers are successful in victimizing you.
That’s my take on the recent Becker’s Health IT article that…
OCR Issues Reminder on Security Incidents
By Linn Foster Freedman on
Posted in Privacy and Security
Following the frequent and varied ransomware attacks on health care entities over the past few years, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) published guidance last summer to the health care industry reminding it that a ransomware attack could be a reportable breach under the HIPAA Breach Notification Rule. Despite the fact that many health care organizations were victims of ransomware attacks, the OCR commented that many of them did not report the incident or notify patients of the incident.
Continue Reading OCR Issues Reminder on Security Incidents