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…
Hospital associations file lawsuit against HHS over new website tracking rule
Editor's Note A number of prominent hospital associations have filed a lawsuit against the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) over guidance that seeks to prohibit them from using tracking tools to monitor visitors on their websites, the American Hospital Association (AHA) November 2 reports. A few highlights of…
Third quarter earnings: UHS, Tenet see financial success; CHS, HCA face challenges
Editor's Note Two major hospital systems–Universal Health Services (UHS) and Tenet Healthcare–saw improved third-quarter profits in 2023, but Community Health Systems (CHS) and HCA Healthcare did not see similar upward trends, HealthLeaders November 3 reports. According to the article, rising demand in services at UHS drove third-quarter earnings up 6.8%…
New cybersecurity toolkit provides guidance to healthcare sector
Editor's Note The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on October 26 announced a new cybersecurity-focused toolkit with resources for healthcare organizations and the public health sector. The two agencies have been working with the Health Sector Coordinating Council (HSCC) Cybersecurity…
Cybersecurity alert: Vulnerability in Cisco’s Emergency Responder communications platform
Editor's Note Cisco has released an update that fixes a critical vulnerability in their Emergency Responder communications platform, a system used throughout the health sector, an October 6 HC3: Sector Alert from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Information Security reports. The HHS recommends that healthcare systems…
Report: Data breaches continue to pose problems for healthcare systems
Editor's Note A new report from cybersecurity provider Critical Insight notes that data breaches are continuing to pose major problems for healthcare systems, an August 2023 Business Wire press release reports. Already more than 40 million patients' medical information was reportedly involved in data breaches in 2023. Following are key…
US and UK sanction Russian cybercrime group targeting hospitals, providers
Editor's Note The United States, in coordination with the United Kingdom, has imposed sanctions on 11 individuals linked to the Russia-based cybercrime group known as Trickbot, a US Department of the Treasury September 7 press release reports. These sanctions were issued by the US Department of the Treasury's Office of…
HHS: ARPA-H project to strengthen healthcare cybersecurity
Editor's Note The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) announced that it is seeking proposals through September 7 to help fund and develop cybersecurity technologies for healthcare systems, clinics, and healthcare-related devices, the August 17 WIRED reports. The Digital Health Security…
The Joint Commission issues Sentinel Event Alert on patient safety after a cyberattack
Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on August 15, issued “Sentinel Event Alert 67: Preserving patient safety after a cyberattack.” The Alert focuses on risks associated with cyberattacks and provides recommendations on how healthcare organizations can deliver safe patient care if a cyberattack occurs. Actions suggested by The Joint Commission include:…
Cybersecurity alert: New ransomware threat to healthcare, recent attacks
Editor's Note On August 4, the Department of Health and Human Services Health Sector Cybersecurity Coordination Center released a security alert warning hospitals of a new ransomware group called Rhysida that has been active since May 2023 and is recently targeting healthcare by breaching networks and demanding a ransom. According…