Security

The steady drumbeat of ransomware attacks continued this past week with new reports of two hospitals forced to fight off malware that froze IT systems.

Cybercriminals said they'll unlock the data for 45 Bitcoins, and they gave the hospital an option of paying 3 Bitcoins to unlock a single computer. 

The United States Department of Homeland Security and the Canadian Cyber Incident Response Center issued a joint cyber alert on March 31, in response to the recent surge in ransomware attacks on hospitals and other organizations.

Running security and IT under a CFO or chief administrative officer is bound to be problematic because they typically lack a technology background. One expert's alternative: Empower CIOs and all employees to innovate a culture of security.  

The law firm posted a new report that includes its 7-point plan to tighten security, avoid breaches, and respond when data gets compromised.

PowerWare is similar to the Locky virus in that it's delivered via email through a Microsoft Word document that resembles an invoice and locks down the system until the ransom is paid.

Now the question is whether cyber criminals could someday emulate that approach to access encrypted patient data.

Each has pros and cons, including accuracy, price and the potential to scare patients with Big Brother-like perceptions. And biometric technology is evolving quickly enough that hospitals need to frequently evaluate options.

Despite saying that it responded quickly to the malware that locked users out of IT systems, the health network had to deny some patients access while it continues recovering from the malicious code. 

The FBI is reportedly investigating the latest in series of healthcare cyberattacks but there’s no definitive word yet on whether the malicious code is ransomware or not.