
Octillo is notifying organizations in the healthcare sector of a potential threat that may occur this weekend. We will continue to monitor this situation and provide updates as they occur.
Late last night the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued a warning about an imminent cybercrime threat to hospitals and healthcare providers. These organizations have credible information to suggest that there will be a widespread Ryuk ransomware attack this weekend. The threat is currently being investigated by the FBI, DHS and the NSA's Cybersecurity Threat Operations Center.
What We Know
The cybercrime organization Ryuk is targeting the Healthcare and Public Health sector with Trickbot malware that may lead to ransomware attacks, data theft, and the disruption of healthcare services, a particularly concerning possibility considering the nation is still grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Based on what we know about Ryuk, it is possible that the targeted healthcare entities have already implemented the encryption malware on healthcare organizations’ systems and the threat actors just have not commanded it to activate. Given the threat, we urge all healthcare organizations to review the measures recommended by the FBI as consider some practical incident response measures.
What To Do Next
Octillo recommends that hospitals and healthcare providers implement several preventative steps to safeguard their organization including of the following measures: reviewing current incident response protocols and processes within the next 24 hours, and carefully crafting internal drafting internal and external messaging and FAQs with an experienced data breach attorney to help minimize legal risk as well as making sure employees know who to contact if they have reason to believe there is suspicious activity.
Octillo is available to discuss additional best practices that should be taken over the next 24 to 72 hours. Our team will continue to monitor this for new developments and provides updates as appropriate. If an attack is detected and additional resources are needed, Octillo can be reached using our 24/7 Data Breach Hotline at 844-502-9363.
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