Officials had previously blamed the attack on a “known criminal threat actor” and said the hospital shut down its own systems for phone, email and medical records once the breach was discovered on Jan. 31.
Cyberattack
Hospitals have shifted their use of online technology to support everything from telehealth to medical devices to patient records. Today, they are a favorite target for internet thieves who hold systems’ data and networks hostage for hefty ransoms.
Officials at Lurie Children’s Hospital said Thursday that they are still working with the FBI and other law enforcement but told reporters that a “known criminal threat actor” had accessed the hospital’s network.
It’s been seven days since Lurie Children’s Hospital first cited a “network outage that impacts internet and phone service.” The systems have been offline since Jan. 31, and there’s no telling when they’ll be back up and running.
Hacking is a growing concern for hospitals and health institutions. Cyberattacks on hospitals and health systems more than doubled from 2016 to 2021, according to a JAMA report.
Congress provided hundreds of millions of dollars to shore up the nation’s election system against cyberattacks and other threats, but roughly two-thirds of the money remained unspent just weeks before last year’s presidential election.
The Biden administration is facing new pressure to resolve a mystery that has vexed its predecessors: Is an adversary using a microwave or radio wave weapon to attack the brains of U.S. diplomats, spies and military personnel?
Some parts of the country still face gas shortages related to the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack, and the incident has drawn attention to the growing threat cyberattacks pose in the U.S. and around the world. We discuss the increasing threat and what to do about it.
Gas shortages at the pumps have spread from the South, all but emptying stations in Washington, D.C., following a ransomware cyberattack that forced a shutdown of the nation’s largest gasoline pipeline. Though the pipeline operator paid a ransom, restoring service was taking time.
There is no gasoline shortage, according to government officials and energy analysts. But there is a problem getting the fuel from refineries on the Gulf Coast to the states that need it, and officials are scrambling to find alternate routes to deliver that fuel.
A cyberattack on a critical U.S. pipeline is sending ripple effects across the economy, highlighting cybersecurity vulnerabilities in the nation’s aging energy infrastructure.
As the shutdown of a major fuel pipeline entered into its fifth day, efforts are under way to stave off potential fuel shortages, though no widespread disruptions were evident.
The cyberextortion attempt that has forced the shutdown of a vital U.S. pipeline was carried out by a criminal gang known as DarkSide that cultivates a Robin Hood image of stealing from corporations and giving a cut to charity, a person close to the investigation said Sunday.
Molson Coors Beverage Co. said Thursday it has been hit by a cyberattack that disrupted its brewing operations and shipments. In a regulatory filing, the Chicago-based company said it has hired forensic information technology experts and legal counsel to help it investigate the incident.
Plus: Congress members weigh in on ‘Chicago Tonight’
President-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday assailed the Trump administration for failing to fortify the nation’s cyber defenses, and called on President Donald Trump to publicly identify the perpetrator of a massive breach of U.S. government agencies.