WiccanLiberal
02-20-2016, 07:46 PM
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ransomware-hollywood-presbyterian-hospital-hacked-for-ransom/
When Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center revealed that it paid 40 bitcoins (http://www.cbsnews.com/news/hospital-explains-decision-to-pay-ransom-to-hackers/) -- roughly $17,000 -- in ransom to hackers who essentially held the hospital's computer system hostage (http://www.cbsnews.com/news/california-hospital-computer-system-taken-hostage-by-hackers/), it marked a dangerous escalation in the high stakes surrounding ransomware.
Ransomware is exactly what it sounds like -- malicious software (http://www.cbsnews.com/news/pirated-movie-video-download-sites-spread-malicious-malware/) used by hackers to block access to a computer system until a ransom is paid. It has become more common in recent years. The number of ransomware (http://www.cbsnews.com/news/fbi-cryptowall-ransomware-keeps-spreading/) attacks increased from 100,000 in January 2013 to 600,000 by the end of that year, according to a 2014 report by antivirus software maker Symantec.
While the threat of ransomware isn't exactly new, high-profile cases like this suggest the severity of an attack's impact can be crushing, especially as hackers (http://www.cbsnews.com/news/anonymous-hackers-declare-war-on-isis/)move from targeting individuals to bigger fish such as companies and major institutions like the hospital.
I am well aware of this threat. Everyone at my job has a hospital email address. Many of our policy changes and other important news are communicated with email messages. This week we had 2 updates on this. The consequences are awful. The risk of protected information becoming public or disappearing, the stress of staff now used to digital documentation having to go back to paper and pen, and required test data not being available as needed. The admins are careful to keep telling us about clicking in email links but I am sure not everyone is as careful as they need to be.
When Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center revealed that it paid 40 bitcoins (http://www.cbsnews.com/news/hospital-explains-decision-to-pay-ransom-to-hackers/) -- roughly $17,000 -- in ransom to hackers who essentially held the hospital's computer system hostage (http://www.cbsnews.com/news/california-hospital-computer-system-taken-hostage-by-hackers/), it marked a dangerous escalation in the high stakes surrounding ransomware.
Ransomware is exactly what it sounds like -- malicious software (http://www.cbsnews.com/news/pirated-movie-video-download-sites-spread-malicious-malware/) used by hackers to block access to a computer system until a ransom is paid. It has become more common in recent years. The number of ransomware (http://www.cbsnews.com/news/fbi-cryptowall-ransomware-keeps-spreading/) attacks increased from 100,000 in January 2013 to 600,000 by the end of that year, according to a 2014 report by antivirus software maker Symantec.
While the threat of ransomware isn't exactly new, high-profile cases like this suggest the severity of an attack's impact can be crushing, especially as hackers (http://www.cbsnews.com/news/anonymous-hackers-declare-war-on-isis/)move from targeting individuals to bigger fish such as companies and major institutions like the hospital.
I am well aware of this threat. Everyone at my job has a hospital email address. Many of our policy changes and other important news are communicated with email messages. This week we had 2 updates on this. The consequences are awful. The risk of protected information becoming public or disappearing, the stress of staff now used to digital documentation having to go back to paper and pen, and required test data not being available as needed. The admins are careful to keep telling us about clicking in email links but I am sure not everyone is as careful as they need to be.