ransomware

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In This Catholic Hospital System, 'Unusual Activity'

Cyberattack fells Ascension, diverting ambulances and wreaking havoc across the US

(Newser) - A cyberattack on the Ascension health system operating in 19 states across the US forced some of its 140 hospitals to divert ambulances, caused patients to postpone medical tests, and blocked online access to patient records. An Ascension spokesperson said it detected "unusual activity" Wednesday on its computer network...

In Hack Update, UnitedHealth Reveals Ransom Was Paid

It says a 'substantial proportion' of Americans possibly had data stolen

(Newser) - Hackers stole health and personal data from what could amount to a "substantial proportion" of Americans, UnitedHealth said in a Monday update on the February cyberattack on its Change Healthcare subsidiary. UnitedHealth also confirmed that it paid a ransom "as part of the company's commitment to do...

Hackers Threaten to Release Trump Court Files Within Hours

LockBit claims to have documents from Fulton County, Georgia, that could affect US election

(Newser) - A ransomware group shut down by the FBI after threatening to release confidential files from Georgia's Fulton County court system, including files related to the criminal case against former President Trump, appears to have resurrected. LockBit is now threatening to release files that "could affect the upcoming US...

Energy Department, Other Agencies Hit by 'Intrusions'

Ransomware attack that appears to have exploited a computer flaw has affected other groups globally

(Newser) - The Department of Energy and multiple other federal agencies are the victims of a ransomware attack that has already hit businesses in the UK and elsewhere around the globe. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, or CISA, is lending support to those agencies "that have experienced intrusions,"...

Guardian Says It Was Hit by Cyberattack

British newspaper tells employees to work from home after suspected ransomware attack

(Newser) - The Guardian says that it has been hit by a suspected ransomware attack but that its online publishing is, evidently, largely unaffected. Executives said the newspaper hopes to go ahead with its Thursday print edition. The British paper reported "a serious IT incident" starting Tuesday night, and staff at...

Hackers to College Students: 'For You, It's a Sad Day'

Knox College's ransomware attack represents 'escalation in the extortion market'

(Newser) - Ransomware attacks against educational institutions are on the rise, with Illinois' Knox College becoming the latest victim. But as NBC News reports, this attack is unique as it "marks the first known case in which hackers used their access to contact students directly in order to intimidate them."...

Easy-to-Guess Password Opened Door to Chain's Hack

Attackers of Holiday Inn's owner seem to have destroyed data for fun, not profit, which concerns experts

(Newser) - Hackers said they roamed throughout the databases of the company that owns Holiday Inn, destroying data once they were thwarted in their attempt to launch a ransomware attack. The Intercontinental Hotels Group intrusion last week worried experts in a couple of ways, the BBC reports. The hackers were blocked at...

Costa Rica's New President Declares State of Emergency

Country has been hit by ransomware attacks

(Newser) - After a month of crippling ransomware attacks, Costa Rica has declared a state of emergency. In theory, the measure usually reserved to deal with natural disasters or the COVID-19 pandemic would free up the government to react more nimbly to the crisis. President Rodrigo Chaves, who was sworn in Sunday,...

Cyberattack Doomed 157-Year-Old College

Lincoln College shutting its doors due to ransomware attack, COVID pandemic

(Newser) - For the first time in the US, a higher education institution is shuttering, in part, due to a ransomware attack. Lincoln College, an Illinois school that qualifies as a predominantly Black institution and which opened in 1865 as the namesake school of Abraham Lincoln, is closing Friday after also struggling...

FBI Warning: Beware of Free USB Drives
Free USB Drives
Could Be Costly
Jan 10, 2022 6:00 PM CST

Free USB Drives Could Be Costly

Hackers are loading malware and ransomware, hoping to fool users

(Newser) - The gesture seems so thoughtful. A package apparently from the Department of Health and Human Services is sent to a workplace, with a note saying the USB drives inside have important information about COVID-19 guidelines. Or an Amazon "decorative gift box" arrives, containing a thank-you note, a bogus gift...

US Warns Software Flaw Puts Millions of Devices at Risk

Companies need to clean up their code quickly, analysts say

(Newser) - US cybersecurity officials have warned companies of a software vulnerability that could put millions of electronic devices at risk from hackers. The warning was delivered to executives Monday in a phone call involving officials of the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, CNN reports. "We expect the vulnerability to...

Planned Parenthood Hack Exposed 400K Patients' Data

Names, procedures of Los Angeles patients among information stolen

(Newser) - One or more hackers acquired the names, birthdates, addresses, diagnoses, and procedures of some 400,000 patients of Planned Parenthood's Los Angeles branch in October, the organization revealed Wednesday. Someone accessed PPLA's network between Oct. 9 and Oct. 17, installed "malware/ransomware," and "exfiltrated" files, rep...

US Charges Hackers, Seizes About $6M in Ransom Funds

A Russian and a Ukrainian believed to be REvil operatives were charged

(Newser) - Update: The Justice Department has charged a Ukrainian man in connection with multiple ransomware attacks, including the July 2021 attack on Kaseya, according to a statement released today. It also seized about $6 million in ransom payments. The person who apparently took the payments, a Russian named Yevgeniy Polyanin, was...

Ransomware Attack Takes TV Stations Off the Air

Sinclair Broadcasting battles cyberattack

(Newser) - One of the largest operators of TV stations in the US is dealing with disruptions caused by a ransomware attack. Sinclair Broadcast Group announced Monday that it was hit over the weekend. The company said hackers stole data and encrypted some operational servers, NBC reports, knocking them out of service....

Alabama Mom Sues Hospital, Blames Ransomware for Death

Nurses coping with computer outages and missed signs of fetal distress

(Newser) - Nicko Silar was born with her umbilical cord wrapped around her neck. She suffered brain damage and died nine months later. Her mother, Teiranni Kidd, is suing the hospital, claiming Nicko’s death was preventable. Her own doctor, obstetrician Katelyn Parnell apparently agreed that the baby’s birth injury could...

Russian Ransomware Gang Disappears From Dark Web
Ransomware Gang's
Sites Go Dark
Jul 13, 2021 3:29 PM CDT

Ransomware Gang's Sites Go Dark

Suspects include the US, Putin, and REvil itself

(Newser) - The REvil ransomware gang's latest message is: "A server with the specified hostname could not be found." That's what appeared on the Russian hackers' sites on the dark web Tuesday, CNBC reports. The group's sites had been active and were used in negotiating with its...

White House: Biden Called Putin With a Warning

President said US will take 'any necessary action' to stop Russian hackers

(Newser) - President Biden called Vladimir Putin on Friday to deliver a warning about cyberattacks, reports Axios . Biden told Putin the US is poised to retaliate after another ransomware incident blamed on Russian hackers, according to a White House statement. “Biden reiterated that the United States will take any necessary action...

Biden Says Putin Will Get Message on Cyberattacks

Latest attacks will test his vow for consequences for Russia

(Newser) - President Biden said Wednesday he would "deliver" a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin about the latest ransomware attacks targeting American businesses, setting up a test of Biden's ability to balance his pledge to respond firmly to cyber breaches with his goal of developing a stable relationship with...

Ransomware Attack Spreads to Hundreds of Companies

US software supplier is hit first, with fallout reaching Sweden

(Newser) - An unchecked ransomware attack on a US software company has spread rapidly to companies and organizations elsewhere, even closing hundreds of grocery stores in Sweden. Cybersecurity experts called it one of the biggest criminal ransomware attacks in history, NBC reports. Kaseya, which manages programs for companies that handle internet services...

'They Do Not Care': Hackers Love Hospitals as Targets

Security is lax and the stakes are high, explains Wall Street Journal in an investigation

(Newser) - Last week, the FBI chief put the threat posed by ransomware on par with the 9/11 attacks. If that seemed like hyperbole, an investigation by the Wall Street Journal might shed some light on his thinking. The newspaper catalogs 235 attacks on hospitals and psychiatric centers in the US since...

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