Pro-Russian hackers claim responsibility for cyber attacks on U.S. hospitals

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A pro-Russian hacking group is claiming responsibility for cyberattacks on several hospitals in the United States.

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The attack came just days after the Federal Bureau of Investigation said it took down a ransomware group that was also targeting hospitals in what was called “The Hive” attack.

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U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland says they’ve seen how cyber attacks on medical facilities can be very disruptive.

“The Hive ransomware attack was able to prevent the hospital from accepting new patients,” Garland explained. “The hospital was also forced to rely on paper copies for patient information.”

Just days ago, the American Hospital Association shared a warning from the Department of Health and Human Services alerting hospitals that ransomware groups were targeting the United States health sector.

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In 2022, healthcare organizations reported seeing a 90-percent increase in cyber attacks. In some cases, cyber criminals were able to shut down patient records while demanding ransoms for millions of dollars to retrieve them.

Tom Leary is Senior Vice President and Head of Government Relations for HIMSS (Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society). They consult federal and state agencies on healthcare technology.

Leary says there’s a clear reason why the health sector is such a solid target for cyber criminals.

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“They have to be mindful of the fact that bad actors want the data, and that the data is very profitable,” Leary said.

The FBI continues to urge businesses and other groups to come forward if they’re attacked, but the agency says only 20-percent of them actually do because they’re worried they’ll be attacked again.

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