Even companies that invest a lot in security can get hit — and hit hard. In this week’s news, perhaps the biggest story involves Microsoft and Russia. The Associated Press reports: Microsoft said Friday it’s still trying to evict the elite Russian government hackers who broke into the email accounts of senior company executives in November […]
The attack on United Healthcare’s Change Healthcare unit continues to cause major problems. Pharmacies are struggling to fill prescriptions, patients cannot get their medications, and payment processes for providers are impacted. The problems began February 21 after hackers, subsequently identified as the AlphV (BlackCat) group, gained access to UnitedHealth’s Change Healthcare unit. How they gained […]
For years now, law enforcement has been urging victims of ransomware attacks not to pay ransom. Their explanations are simple: (1) criminals do not keep their word to delete any data they have stolen from you, (2) criminals will not keep their word not to attack you again, and (3) paying criminals encourages them to […]
HHS generally does not rush to issue any notice about a cyberattack, but today, they issued a quick one about Change Healthcare: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is aware that a cyber incident was identified in Optum Insight’s Change Healthcare’s technology systems on February 21. HHS is working closely with Optum Insight […]
Some ransomware gangs demand millions of dollars in ransom or even tens of millions of dollars. Even smaller businesses, non-profit organizations, and public school districts have increasingly become victims of cyberattacks because they are easy targets with poor defenses against attackers. Do you want your system unlocked? Do you want your data back or deleted […]
When law enforcement takes down what has been described as the biggest and longest-running ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) criminal operation, it’s big news. Yesterday, LockBit3.0’s site was replaced with a seizure notice that indicated that LockBit and its infrastructure were now under law enforcement control. In a press release this morning, the National Crime Agency (NCA) provided […]
The Record reports: The U.S. and partners around the world ousted Russian government hackers from a network of more than 1,000 home and small business routers, FBI Director Christopher Wray said on Thursday. The law enforcement action, dubbed Operation Dying Ember, has not been previously announced. “Working with U.S. and worldwide law enforcement partners we […]
The Register reports: Cybercriminals are targeting iOS users with malware that steals Face ID scans to break into and pilfer money from bank accounts – thought to be a world first. A Chinese-speaking cybercrime group, dubbed GoldFactory by Group-IB’s researchers, started distributing trojanized smartphone apps in June 2023, however, the latest GoldPickaxe version has been […]
FTC says company’s poor security allowed hacker to steal sensitive data of millions of consumers, go undetected for months South Carolina-based Blackbaud Inc. will be required to delete personal data that it doesn’t need to retain as part of a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission over charges that the company’s lax security allowed a […]
A hacker just called your office. Do your front-line personnel know what to say or do?
Regardless of whether you work for a big corporation or a small- or medium-sized business, you need to have a plan as to how you will respond in the event of a data security incident. Many plans begin with what to do once you discover a breach, but do not neglect to ensure you have […]