Federal officials are warning of “an increased and imminent cybercrime threat to U.S. hospitals and healthcare providers.”
The FBI and two other agencies issued an alert on Oct. 28. They explained that hackers are targeting organizations for ransomware attacks, data theft and disruption of healthcare services.
“These issues will be particularly challenging for organizations within the COVID-19 pandemic; therefore, administrators will need to balance this risk when determining their cybersecurity investments,” they stated. The notice came from the FBI, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the Department of Health and Human Services.
Specific threats include TrickBot and BazarLoader malware and Ryuk and Conti ransomware.
The Associated Press reported on Oct. 29: “Independent security experts say the ransomware, called Ryuk, has already impacted at least five U.S. hospitals this week and could potentially affect hundreds more.”
Cybercriminals have hit the vision industry repeatedly in recent years.
Hackers reportedly hit Luxottica with a ransomware attack in March, leading to problems for the eyewear giant worldwide. Various sites associated with the company were temporarily out of commission, including those for Ray-Ban and Pearle Vision.
And in July, cybercriminals hit Eye Care Associates Inc. in Beaver Township, OH, with a ransomware attack. The practice was left without use of its computer systems for more than two weeks.