After several days of reporting on supply chain attacks, it’s back to reporting on ransomware attacks on healthcare.
The Epilepsy Foundation of Metropolitan New York (EFMNY) was hit by a ransomware attack compromising confidential patient information. The foundation is dedicated to raising epilepsy awareness and assisting individuals in finding treatments, support, and resources.
Attackers were able to encrypt some systems within the EFMNY’s network and according to the breach notification letter, the attack led to “the unauthorized access and/or acquisition of certain files from within the network.” This incident is characteristic of a double-extortion ransomware attack, where data is first stolen and then encrypted on the victim’s systems, with threats of data leakage unless a ransom is paid.
Compromised data included:
- Date of Birth
- Social Security number
- Account number
- Medicare ID
- Medicaid ID
- Diagnosis code
- Treatment location
- Procedure type
- Provider name
- Treatment cost
- Medical date of service
- Billing/Claim information
- Health insurance information
The organization’s subsequent investigation revealed that the electronic health record database remained unaffected. Nevertheless, unauthorized access to specific documents and folders within their systems was confirmed. Following “a comprehensive manual review,” we determined that “individual personal information may have been accessed and/or acquired by the unauthorized party.”
BullWall Executive, Carol Volk: (she/her)
“Here we go again, another day, another ransomware attack. This time, the victim is the Epilepsy Foundation of Metropolitan New York (EFMNY), a critical organization providing support and resources for those affected by epilepsy. This incident underscores a disturbing cyberattack trend we see all too often, especially within the healthcare sector, where sensitive patient data becomes fodder for cybercriminals’ extortion schemes.
“Historically, healthcare organizations have been prime targets for cyberattacks due to the valuable nature of the data they hold. Attacks on hospital & care facilities have been accelerating over the past 12 months, leading to the disruption of patient care and confidentiality. The impact of the EFMNY attack is profound, not just for the organization but for the individuals whose sensitive data was compromised.
“It brings to light the vulnerability of even specialized, non-profit healthcare entities and underscores the broader industry challenge of securing patient information against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.
“To mitigate such incidents, organizations must adopt a layered security strategy that includes regular cybersecurity awareness training for all employees, rigorous access controls, and the implementation of advanced threat detection tools, including ransomware containment. Equally important is the need for a robust incident response plan that can swiftly address data breaches, minimizing damage. As we’ve seen in the past, no entity is immune, and proactive measures are the best defense against relentless and evolving cyber threats.”
At this point I should start copying and pasting my thoughts on ransomware attacks on healthcare institutions because they honestly haven’t changed. Healthcare isn’t doing enough to protect themselves because they don’t have enough resources to protect themselves. That needs to change or I will continue to write stories like these day, after day, after day with no end in sight.
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This entry was posted on April 11, 2024 at 8:23 am and is filed under Commentary with tags Hacked. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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Epilepsy Foundation of Metropolitan New York Pwned In Ransomware Attack
After several days of reporting on supply chain attacks, it’s back to reporting on ransomware attacks on healthcare.
The Epilepsy Foundation of Metropolitan New York (EFMNY) was hit by a ransomware attack compromising confidential patient information. The foundation is dedicated to raising epilepsy awareness and assisting individuals in finding treatments, support, and resources.
Attackers were able to encrypt some systems within the EFMNY’s network and according to the breach notification letter, the attack led to “the unauthorized access and/or acquisition of certain files from within the network.” This incident is characteristic of a double-extortion ransomware attack, where data is first stolen and then encrypted on the victim’s systems, with threats of data leakage unless a ransom is paid.
Compromised data included:
The organization’s subsequent investigation revealed that the electronic health record database remained unaffected. Nevertheless, unauthorized access to specific documents and folders within their systems was confirmed. Following “a comprehensive manual review,” we determined that “individual personal information may have been accessed and/or acquired by the unauthorized party.”
BullWall Executive, Carol Volk: (she/her)
“Here we go again, another day, another ransomware attack. This time, the victim is the Epilepsy Foundation of Metropolitan New York (EFMNY), a critical organization providing support and resources for those affected by epilepsy. This incident underscores a disturbing cyberattack trend we see all too often, especially within the healthcare sector, where sensitive patient data becomes fodder for cybercriminals’ extortion schemes.
“Historically, healthcare organizations have been prime targets for cyberattacks due to the valuable nature of the data they hold. Attacks on hospital & care facilities have been accelerating over the past 12 months, leading to the disruption of patient care and confidentiality. The impact of the EFMNY attack is profound, not just for the organization but for the individuals whose sensitive data was compromised.
“It brings to light the vulnerability of even specialized, non-profit healthcare entities and underscores the broader industry challenge of securing patient information against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.
“To mitigate such incidents, organizations must adopt a layered security strategy that includes regular cybersecurity awareness training for all employees, rigorous access controls, and the implementation of advanced threat detection tools, including ransomware containment. Equally important is the need for a robust incident response plan that can swiftly address data breaches, minimizing damage. As we’ve seen in the past, no entity is immune, and proactive measures are the best defense against relentless and evolving cyber threats.”
At this point I should start copying and pasting my thoughts on ransomware attacks on healthcare institutions because they honestly haven’t changed. Healthcare isn’t doing enough to protect themselves because they don’t have enough resources to protect themselves. That needs to change or I will continue to write stories like these day, after day, after day with no end in sight.
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This entry was posted on April 11, 2024 at 8:23 am and is filed under Commentary with tags Hacked. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.