November 21, 2023 at 02:41PM
A former executive from a healthcare network security firm pleaded guilty to intentionally compromising a Georgia hospital network for sales purposes. He gained unauthorized access to the phone system, causing it to go offline and accessed sensitive patient information. He also sent a message to printers on the network. He tried to gain publicity for the breach and solicited potential clients for security services. The guilty plea entails deportation and restitution payments exceeding $800,000. Jail time may be avoided due to a medical issue and admission of responsibility.
During the meeting, it was discussed that a former executive from a healthcare network security firm, Vikas Singla, pled guilty to intentionally compromising a Georgia hospital network as a sales strategy. However, this strategy was not successful. The US District Court in Georgia released the details of Singla’s guilty plea from the Nov. 16 court proceeding. Singla took full responsibility for the cyberattacks against two Gwinnett Medical Center locations in Duluth and Lawrenceville, Georgia.
Singla gained unauthorized access to the GMC phone system in September 2018 and made changes to its operating system, resulting in the entire phone system, including emergency calls inside the hospitals, going down. More than 200 phones were rendered out of commission due to Singla’s actions. In addition, Singla admitted to accessing sensitive information of over 300 patients.
Singla added a cruel element of fear by sending a command that caused more than 200 printers on the GMC network to print the message, “WE OWN YOU.” After the attack, Singla tried to generate publicity for the compromise through a Twitter account and admitted to using the GMC breach to solicit potential clients for security services.
According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), Singla is expected to avoid jail time due to a medical issue and his willingness to admit responsibility. The guilty plea also includes deportation and restitution payments totaling more than $800,000.