Cybersecurity

Extorting companies and governments for ransoms is not new; extremist groups have long funded their operations using ransom payments from Western governments. For ransomware attacks on American companies to cease, companies will have to commit to never paying a ransom,…

The American Hospital Association urged the U.S. government to take the same approach it took when fighting against global terrorism, instead of leaving hospitals to fend for themselves.

Asheville, N.C.-based Allergy Partners released more details of a January ransomware attack on its computer network, which exposed more than 1,000 patients' info, according to a May 17 notice. 

The Pennsylvania Department of Health terminated the contract it had with COVID-19 contact tracing vendor Insight Global after it publicly exposed intimate details of 72,000 residents, according to a May 20 article published by local CBS affiliate KDKA.

Gallup, N.M.-based Rehoboth McKinley Christian Health Care Services posted an online notice May 19 to tell patients that some of their protected health information recently had been inappropriately accessed and removed from its computer systems. 

Dennison, Ohio-based Trinity Health on May 26 was added to the tally of CaptureRx data breach victims. The Ohio hospital is among 14 hospitals and healthcare organizations targeted by the ransomware attack that exposed patient data. 

A Michigan man, known on the dark web as "TheDearthStar" and "Dearthy Star," pleaded guilty to two counts of a 43-count indictment for hacking Pittsburgh-based UPMC's databases in 2013-14, the Justice Department said May 20. 

Ransomware has become a sophisticated form of crime, affecting more healthcare systems than ever before and putting sensitive data at risk.

Most data breaches don't occur because of searching for software vulnerabilities. Instead, they start with tricking humans into opening malicious links, among other schemes, according to a recent report published by Verizon.

Scripps Health tweeted May 20 that it has restored its website, but the San Diego-based health system's online patient portal was still offline following the May 1 cyberattack, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune.