February 27, 2024 at 05:32PM
The FBI, CISA, and HHS have issued a warning about ALPHV/Blackcat ransomware attacks targeting U.S. healthcare organizations. The BlackCat cybercrime gang, linked to over 60 breaches and $300 million in ransoms, primarily targets the healthcare sector. Mitigation measures are recommended, with a focus on cybersecurity safeguards for critical infrastructure and healthcare organizations.
Key takeaways from the meeting notes:
– The FBI, CISA, and HHS have issued a warning to U.S. healthcare organizations about targeted ALPHV/Blackcat ransomware attacks, following previous advisories and flash alerts.
– The BlackCat cybercrime gang, suspected to be a rebrand of the DarkSide and BlackMatter ransomware groups, has been targeting healthcare organizations, with over 60 breaches linked to them and at least $300 million in ransoms collected from over 1,000 victims until September 2023.
– Healthcare organizations are urged to implement cybersecurity safeguards to counter prevalent tactics and to take necessary mitigation measures against Blackcat ransomware and data extortion incidents.
– The BlackCat ransomware operation was linked to a cyberattack on UnitedHealth Group subsidiary Optum, causing an ongoing outage impacting Change Healthcare, a major payment exchange platform in the U.S. healthcare system.
Additionally, the BlackCat ransomware group has been targeting vulnerable ScreenConnect servers for remote access into victim networks and has switched to a new Tor leak site following disruptions to its operations by the FBI.
The U.S. State Department is offering rewards for information leading to the identification or location of BlackCat gang leaders and individuals linked to the group’s ransomware attacks.
It’s crucial for healthcare organizations to be vigilant and take necessary cybersecurity measures to protect against these targeted attacks.