Officials Warn of Impending Cyberattacks on American Hospitals
U.S. officials are warning American hospitals against incoming cyberattacks as the country continues to battle against COVID-19. The goal of these attacks is still unknown, but it is highly likely they will come in the form of ransomware, thus leading officials to believe that these attacks are motivated by money. It is important to note that the timing of these attacks is important as well as the United States braces for a contentious election in the coming days and these attacks on the U.S. healthcare system could serve to spread chaos and unease in the already divided country.
Some hospitals in New York State and on the West Coast have already begun to report cyberattacks in recent days, but it is still unknown whether these attacks were part of the warning issues by officials. Thankfully, these hospitals have claimed that critical patient care was not affected.
Alex Holden, founder of Hold Security, claims that Russian hackers, based in Moscow and St. Petersburg, have been trading a list of more than 400 hospitals they plan to target, and further claims that the hackers have already infected more than 30 of them. Mr. Holden has shared this information with the F.B.I., which was the impetus for the warnings issued by U.S. officials.
This past Wednesday, the F.B.I., the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, warned hospital administrators and security researchers about a “credible threat” of cyberattacks to American-based hospitals.
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