The U.K. government is considering banning ransomware payments to make critical industries “unattractive targets for criminals.” It would apply to all public sector bodies and critical national infrastructure, which includes NHS trusts, schools, local councils, and data centres. Currently, all government departments nationwide are banned from paying cyber criminals to decrypt their data or prevent … Read more
This year has not been quiet for the cybersecurity field. We have seen record-breaking data breaches, huge ransomware payouts, and illuminating studies about the impact of the increasingly complex and ever-evolving threat landscape. As we approach the new year, TechRepublic revisits the biggest cybersecurity stories of 2024. 1. Midnight Blizzard’s attack on Microsoft In January, … Read more
A new double-extortion ransomware variant targets VMware ESXi servers, security researchers have found. The group behind it, named Cicada3301, has been promoting its ransomware-as-a-service operation since June. Once an attacker has initial access to a corporate network, they can copy and encrypt its private data using the Cicada3301 ransomware. They can then withhold the decryption … Read more
Ahemdabad: When a team of experts from the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) checked the logs of the ransomware files at a city hospital after a cyberattack, they were surprised – the execution of the file, which took place at 2am, had been sitting pretty in the system since March! “The latest attack was found … Read more
New Delhi: The Indian cyber security agency has issued a warning against the “Royal ransomware” virus that attacks critical sectors like communications, healthcare, education, and even individuals and seeks pay-off in Bitcoins for not leaking personal data in the public domain. The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team or CERT-In has stated in the latest advisory … Read more
New Delhi: The ransomware attack which paralysed the servers of India’s top government-run hospital All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) New Delhi, has yet again brought to light the criticality of protecting patient data. Healthcare firms contain large volumes of sensitive data that hold high intrinsic value like financial credentials, insurance information, health-related patient … Read more
An elderly patient lies on a sidewalk outside the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) hospital in New Delhi. File | Photo Credit: AP Terming the recent ransomware attack on the All India Institute of Medical Sciences’ computer network an issue related to the country’s security, Rajya Sabha Member Ranjeet Ranjan on Thursday sought … Read more
Canberra: Australia‘s largest health insurer said on Wednesday a cybercriminal had hacked the personal data of all its 4 million customers, as the government introduced legislation that would increase penalties for companies that fail to protect clients’ private information. Medibank said “significant amounts of health claims data” had also been accessed in the breach, which … Read more
The FBI and Justice Department recently disrupted the activities of a hacking group that was sponsored by the North Korean government and that targeted US hospitals with ransomware, ultimately recovering half a million dollars in ransom payments and cryptocurrency, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said on Tuesday. Monaco revealed new details of the attacks during … Read more
by Robert MacDonald In 2021, hospital systems have been under pressure while facing the combination of COVID-19 cases and ransomware attacks. Ransomware attacks are not new in the health industry. However, this year was the first time that these attacks caused real patient harm, according to a study by the United States’ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure … Read more