cyberattacks
See the following -
The Belarusian Connection
U.S. intelligence agencies last week urged the Obama administration to check its new healthcare network for malicious software after learning that developers linked to the Belarus government helped produce the website, raising fresh concerns that private data posted by millions of Americans will be compromised. Read More »
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The Ransomware Attacks on Hospitals Are (Cyber) Criminal
One of the redeeming aspects of crises is that, amidst all the confusion, suffering, and loss, there are usually moments of grace, of humans showing their best nature... Unfortunately, crises also tend to bring out the worst of our natures... And then there are the cyberattacks. Last week the federal Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, the FBI, and HHS issued a joint alert Ransomware Activity Targeting the Healthcare and Public Health Sector, warning that they have "credible information of an increased and imminent cybercrime threat to U.S. hospitals and healthcare providers." I'll spare you the technical details of the expected attack strategies or suggested mitigation efforts, but I will note that they warned: "CISA, FBI, and HHS do not recommend paying ransom." Read More »
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Why The Sony Hack Should Scare Feds
As the fallout from the unprecedented electronic attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment continues, cybersecurity experts said federal IT managers -- while likely facing no immediate threat from the group that attacked Sony -- should be paying close attention...
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Will “Digital Fingerprint” Forensics Thwart the Data Thieves Lurking in Hospital EHR Corridors?
As Halloween approaches, the usual spate of horror movies will intrigue audiences across the US, replete with slashers named Jason or Freddie running amuck in the corridors of all too easily accessible hospitals. They grab a hospital gown and the zombies fit right in. While this is just a movie you can turn off, the real horror of patient data theft can follow you...Unfortunately, this horror movie scenario is similar to how data thefts often occur at medical facilities. In 2015, the healthcare industry was one of the top three hardest hit industries with serious data breaches and major attacks, along with government and manufacturers. Packed with a wealth of exploitable information such as credit card data, email addresses, Social Security numbers, employment information and medical history records, much of which will remain valid for years, if not decades and fetch a high price on the black market.
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Your Toaster May Be Bad For Your Health IT
the cyberattack last week...shut down access to many major websites...What does this have to do with health care? Plenty, as it turns out. IoT devices are increasingly helping us manage our health and medical care. IoT in health care is expected to be a huge market -- perhaps 40% of the total IoT, and worth some $117b by 2020, according to McKinsey. Expected major uses include wearables, monitors, and implanted medical devices. The problem is that many manufacturers haven't necessarily prepared for cyberattacks. Kevin Fu, a professor at the University of Michigan's Archimedes Center for Medical Device Security, told CNBC: "the dirty little secret is that most manufacturers did not anticipate the cybersecurity risks when they were designing them [devices] a decade ago, so this is just scratching the surface."
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Cyberbio Convergence: Characterizing the Multiplicative Threat
The cyber and biological scientific arenas are converging rapidly. While the government recognizes that the nation is vulnerable to cyber attacks and continues to invest enormous resources into their prevention, response, and recovery, it invests far less in countering biological attacks. These two areas of science and technology are beginning to converge now, making the nation increasingly unsafe and insecure. On September 17, 2019, we will convene a meeting of the Study Panel, Cyberbio Convergence: Characterizing the Multiplicative Threat to inform our continuing assessment of the biological threat, specific vulnerabilities, and overwhelming consequences.
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