Ransomware assault threatens U.S. healthcare system: FBI

Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-29 12:07:09|Editor: huaxia

Cybercriminals are unleashing a major ransomware assault against the U.S. healthcare system with four hospitals already targeted this month, federal agencies warned Wednesday.

In a joint alert, the FBI and two federal agencies said they have "credible information" suggesting that "malicious cyber actors" are targeting the health sector with ransomware that could lead to "data theft and disruption of healthcare services."

Independent security experts said the assault could potentially impact hundreds more institutions over the next few weeks.

"We are experiencing the most significant cyber security threat we've ever seen in the United States," Charles Carmakal, chief technical officer of the cybersecurity firm Mandiant, said in a statement.

Ransomware is a type of malware which encrypts a victim's files. The attacker typically demands a payment from victims to restore access to the blocked data.

The United States has seen a sharp rise in ransomware cases over the past months, and hospitals have been particularly vulnerable amid the COVID-19 pandemic.