Cybersecurity alert: New ransomware may pose serious threat to healthcare institutions

Editor's Note

The American Hospital Association (AHA) November 6 is alerting healthcare institutions to a new ransomware known as BlackSuit, which is likely to pose a serious threat to the healthcare and public health sectors. 

According to AHA:

• BlackSuit is very similar to the Royal ransomware family, which followed the Russian-linked Conti operation, known for encrypting files and rendering them inaccessible until a ransom is paid. 
• These threats are specifically targeted at healthcare institutions and often infiltrate through phishing emails or compromised websites. 
• The use of BlackSuit ransomware has already been observed in a few small attacks, including against a US-based healthcare organization in October 2023, where servers and systems were encrypted with malware.
• There were also at least three attacks involving the BlackSuit encryptor identified by a cybersecurity firm, with ransoms below $1 million. 

If the connection between BlackSuit and Royal is confirmed, it will heighten the potential for expanded and more serious attacks that need to be closely monitored.