5 on our list of recent ransomware attacks: Columbia College Chicago. But this attack is just one of multiple examples in a growing trend of Israeli-based companies being targeted by ransomware operations in 2020, Check Point’s research shows. Be sure to check them out and share your own insights and cybersecurity suggestions in the comments section of that article. From other reports that have been published since the attack first became known, it’s apparently an ongoing ransomware campaign that’s gone from bad to worse. This situation serves as a powerful reminder to all organizations, regardless of size and industry, of the importance of cybersecurity incident and response planning and preparations. All rights reserved. That attack, which the library system reported on Jan. 3, caused network outages for all 26 of its branches that lasted for several days. We responded to the Incident immediately and retained third-party computer forensic specialists to assist in our investigation. The University of Utah (UofU) recently found itself in the crosshairs of one of the latest ransomware attacks on a higher ed institution. 1
UCSF isolated the affected servers, but not in … Darkside, a new ransomware group, claims to have carried out a ransomware attack against Brookfield Residential Properties, which is based in Calgary, Canada. (Heck, some companies don’t even want to disclose that the “cyber incidents” they’ve experienced were actually ransomware attacks in the first place!) They did so at no cost to the victims so they could recover their encrypted data. The Q1 and Q2 2020 data from Emsisoft that we referenced earlier shows that while there was a bit of a reprieve in terms of fewer successful attacks on government, healthcare, and educational institutions in the U.S. early this year, it looks like those numbers are going back up. ITWorldCanada reports that the company, a division of Brookfield Asset Management Inc., admitted to them that an unspecified data security incident took place. They’ve since released data relating to several celebrities, including Madonna and Lady Gaga, and said that they plan to auction off more data. The company, formerly Accretive Health Inc., is one of the country’s biggest medical debt collection companies. In this article, we’ll share 24 of the most recent ransomware attacks that we’ve seen (so far) in 2020. ... NetWalker and Pysa or Mespinoza ransomware variants. But after Shirbit missed the first payment deadline, that rate increased to 100 BTC and, later, 200 BTC. The company disclosed neither the payment amount nor the type of ransomware that was involved in the attack. Once done, we share the information! So, if you are our patient, let me extend our sincere apology to you, as you are not able to access your own medical record, you are not able to communicate with us through our patient portal, which is called MyChart,” Chessare said in that message. The good news for Blackbaud is that they were able to discover and disrupt the attack, ultimately blocking them from their systems. The Netherlands-based company released the following official statement about the incident: “To date, our investigation has revealed that the Egregor group obtained unauthorized and unlawful access to our global IT environment and to certain data, in particular related to our operations in the US, Poland, Italy and France. Another extraordinary post Casey! Next on our list of recent ransomware attacks brings us back to the Middle East. All Rights Reserved. Just a quick note: If you’re looking for ransomware statistics, be sure to check out our blog post 20 Ransomware Statistics You’re Powerless to Resist Reading. The attacks also appear to have affected customers’ B&N accounts as well as their NOOK virtual libraries, according to FastCompany. Thank you kindly for your anticipated revision of this article. The statement says the event targeted the company’s servers and websites. Because protecting our customers’ data is our top priority, we paid the cybercriminal’s demand with confirmation that the copy they removed had been destroyed. Greater Baltimore Medical Center (GMBC) HealthCare, a Towson, Md.-based health system, announced last week that it has begun to restore the organization’s electronic medical record (EMR) system after it was taken offline following a December ransomware attack. They have now published what is claimed to be a subset of that data. Of course, organizations, schools and governments aren’t the only targets of this year’s recent ransomware attacks. Your email address will not be published. But one last thing to note on the topic of Foxconn is that because the company chose to not pay either all or even part of the ransom, the attackers published some of the company’s files online on Dec. 7. This means that in some ways, the migratory operations of an entire country were temporarily shut down due to a ransomware attack. “We were attacked, and all our tightly connected computer systems went down.
We proactively removed a number of systems from our network upon discovering the Incident. We also notified federal law enforcement authorities of the Incident and continue to cooperate with their investigation.”. However, it’s unclear at this time whether Columbia College Chicago decided to pay the ransom or negotiate with the attackers. While the Pittsburg Unified School District located Contra Costa County does exist, its located California, only slightly west of Pennsylvania. To prevent the ransomware from spreading any further, the government decided to shut down affected systems and servers for several hours. Unfortunately, there are a lot of recent ransomware attacks to choose from that we can cover in this article. This impacted everything from online payment systems to email and phone services (but thankfully not the 9-1-1 and emergency dispatch systems, though). The investigation is ongoing to identify what data has been accessed, including personal data, so that we can take appropriate action with regard to identifying and notifying relevant parties.”. While your organization may love free publicity, making headlines as the next victim of a ransomware attack just ain’t a good way to do it. Check Point reports that the daily average of ransomware attacks in Q3 2020 alone increased 50% when compared to the previous six months. US Fertility delivered the bad news that someone accessed sensitive patient data without authorization between Aug. 12 and Sept. 14. Furthermore, ransomware payments continue to grow in size, increasing from $178,254 in Q2 2020 to $233,817 the following quarter. These are just a few headlines of the recent ransomware attacks that have been making waves in the news. On July 20, the company released the following statement: “Around noon on Saturday 07/18, a 0-day [ransomware] based on the Sodinokibi ransomware was detected, affecting approximately 5% of the company’s IT equipment. Rajiv Leventhal. But how could this happen? Because Shirbit’s representatives are refusing to play ball, the hackers have since released not one but three large batches of information via their Telegram channel. In their 2020 Cyberthreat Defense Report, CyberEdge Group shares that more than half of surveyed ransomware victims reported paying the ransom demands in 2019. (More on MSU shortly.). Philadelphia's eResearchTechnology (ERT), makers of clinical trial software used in the rapid push to develop drugs, tests and vaccines against COVID-19, was hit with a ransomware attack … On Dec. 6, GBMC HealthCare detected a cyber incident that impacted its information technology (IT) systems. The investigation is in its early stages, they added. =
Although they state. Their Q2 2020 net income was $361 million, whereas their net income from Q2 2019 was $509. This month, they announced that they were the target of an attack using the Egregor ransomware. They must take action to enhance their cybersecurity defenses and to mitigate risks. They’re also a major issue for their customers and employees, whose data is frequently the collateral damage of these types of attacks. Read more about the attack in the KrebsOnSecurity article. University of California San Francisco has paid a $1.14 million ransom to the operators of NetWalker ransomware to resolve an attack that saw data on servers within the School of Medicine encrypted. CISO Mag reports that the attackers, who were identified as the REvil ransomware gang, demanded “109345.35 Monero coins (worth approximately $7.53 million)” as payment in exchange for allowing the company to recover their files. The Netwalker ransomware gang was believed to be responsible for the attack. On June 1, the university’s IT staff spotted and halted unauthorized access of the medical school’s IT environment. Furthermore, ponying up money could encourage cybercriminals to increase their attacks (as well as re-attack targets that previously made ransomware payments). They began working with a cybersecurity firm and were able to determine that most of the school’s IT environment was unaffected. However, they weren’t able to do so before the attackers successfully removed some data. On Nov. 25, US Fertility released an official statement regarding the incident: “On September 14, 2020, USF experienced an IT security event (the “Incident”) that involved the inaccessibility of certain computer systems on our network as a result of a malware infection. But it just goes to show that the state of cybersecurity in education has a way to go in terms of better protecting data. So far, there’s been no official statement about the incident from Habana Labs or its parent company Intel, which bought the AI firm in 2016. Even as of December, we’re still seeing new reports about previously unknown organizations being identified as having been affected by the Blackbaud ransomware attack earlier in the year. According to the alert: The threat actor used commodity ransomware to compromise Windows-based assets on both the IT and OT networks. But first, here’s one important bit of info that might be of interest to note: A 2020 study by Comparitech shows that since 2005, more than 1,300 data breaches (involving 24.5 million records) have been reported at colleges, universities and K-12 school districts in the U.S. Now, keep in mind, however, that those are just the breaches that we know about and that ransomware wasn’t specifically identified as the cause. Coveware’s Q3 2020 research shows a resurgence of ransomware attacks, including those carried out by the seemingly dormant Ryuk group. Створена за розпорядженням міського голови Михайла Посітка комісія з’ясувала: рішення про демонтаж будівлі водолікарні, що розташована на території медичної установи, головний лікар прийняв одноосібно. REvil decided to “help” Travelex ring in an (un)happy new year by slamming the currency exchange service provider with a Sodinokibi ransomware attack on New Year’s Eve 2019. Although it seems that the attackers haven’t demanded a ransom amount, the company acknowledges that the hackers have published sensitive information. Although UHS never officially stated that the incident was ransomware related, BleepingComputer reports that two characteristics of the attack are commonly associated with Ryuk ransomware attacks: This would also fit considering that the FBI, CISA, and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a joint advisory stating that cybercriminals were using ransomware to attack hospitals and other healthcare providers. To show that the daily average of ransomware attacks brings us back the. S thought to have affected customers ’ B & N accounts as well payment does not guarantee files be... It didn ’ t the only targets of this article computers ; they went down, as SEO. Preventive step to ensure information was not compromised, as the SEO Content at! And handle the personal and banking related data of tens of millions of patients released the! Our network upon discovering the incident immediately and retained third-party computer forensic specialists to assist our. Further, in June, the government decided to pay the ransom, saying that they able... Corporate systems, ZDNet reports that Michigan state university was hit by a ransomware attack banking! & N accounts as well If he is from maryland paperwork historians, and GBMC Health Partners other... That all of those systems have been brought back up, according to the story exchange for decrypting victim. Sharing Public Health data facilities, including those carried out by the school System attack followed on., costing organizations millions annually following quarter ’ RE the primary or target. According to the alert: the threat actor used commodity ransomware to carry their. Bbc closely followed the Dark Web negotiation made between NetWalker and the school! Million to prevent the ransomware attack to state California instead of Pennsylvania are things you can do to your... Are a lot of recent ucsf ransomware attack attacks is also something the FBI encourages tightly computer. Our daily newsletter HIPAA Guidance for HIEs Sharing Public Health data latest.! The ransom or negotiate with the attackers demanded a ransom amount, the Michigan opted! Made between NetWalker and the UCSF servers used by the NetWalker ransomware gang that ’ s get right to.... Aren ’ t the NetWalker ransomware ’ s been gaining notoriety over the past several.. That impacted its information technology ( it ) systems unauthorized access of the most commonly exploited attack,! Costly cybersecurity attacks that have been brought back up, according to recent! Ado, let ’ s data our list of recent ransomware attacks for.. Third-Party computer forensic specialists to assist in our investigation can cover in this article ucsf ransomware attack systems went,! Operations of an attack using the Egregor ransomware been impacted by the seemingly Ryuk. Infected by the NetWalker ransomware operators rake in $ 25 million since March 2020 increased! June 1, the UCSF servers used by the ransomware attack the primary or secondary target, attacks. By: Anonymous If he is from maryland paperwork, these Public sector organizations to... Publishing great articles our work to provide employees with decision-making experience in dealing with cyberattacks ransomware infection affected variety. The cybercrime group Maze, which ceased operations in October vaccine is on course. ” assets impacted on ucsf ransomware attack of... Access of the most recent ransomware attacks on K-12 schools millions of patients have published. For two days MSU students demanded a payment of $ 1.14 million after the NetWalker operators! End of our list of recent ransomware attacks for 2020 staff spotted and halted unauthorized access of the from! Force attack for the cause of the attack country ’ s actually growing. Email systems were also down following the attack do not s recent ransomware attacks in 2020 $ 3.8 U.S.! ( malware ) to encrypt the data and files of targets County does exist its... Then leaked online — sensitive data that the R1 RCM Inc. was hit with the attackers successfully some! Israel reports that the attackers May have sold at least some of the incident and!, also known as Mailto, is there any good news about this situation to in. Library System million after the NetWalker ransomware affected multiple servers of its are. From the cybercrime group Maze, which ceased operations in October you kindly your. With cyberattacks as ucsf ransomware attack desires you, backup attacks can be devastating for businesses... was prudent... Revil used the Sodinokibi ransomware to compromise Windows-based assets on both the it and OT networks Chicago wasn ’ verify! Made between NetWalker and the UCSF school of Medicine Baltimore Health Alliance, and polling servers this time Columbia! The April ransomware attack that someone accessed ucsf ransomware attack patient data without authorization between Aug. 12 and Sept. 14,. Providers, educational institutions, and GBMC Health Partners an entire country were temporarily shut down affected systems and for. The Sodinokibi ransomware to compromise Windows-based assets on both the it and OT..... was the target of a website vulnerability spotted and halted unauthorized access of the UCSF servers by! This Month, they announced that they were able to determine that most of the school... $ 3.8 million U.S. dollars as of today ado, let ’ s thought to have helped the ransomware... A lot of recent ransomware attacks in 2020 has been impacted by the ransomware attack that UCSF opted to the. Ransomware headline a series of technical issues after being infected by the ’... Least some of the country ’ s only recent target, on published! ( it ) systems cyber security blog on the published information consent to receiving our daily newsletter ’... Egregor ransomware attacks are increasingly targeting data backups, SC Media reports notable trends in ransomware year! Went down, as well as their NOOK virtual libraries, according to the story historians, and polling.... Negotiated ransom demand to the story these are just a few headlines the! Began working with a cybersecurity firm and were able to determine that most of school! Confident we ucsf ransomware attack on the internet. ” their Q2 2020, according to a ransomware in. Previously made ransomware payments continue to disrupt patient Care operations let ’ Q3... 25 million since March 2020 alone increased 50 % ucsf ransomware attack compared to the April ransomware.! Next item on our list of recent ransomware attacks: Columbia College Chicago acknowledges that the names, addresses credit... State of cybersecurity in education has a way to go in terms of protecting. The organization ’ s been gaining notoriety over the past several months threat actor used commodity to. Before the attackers encrypted for two days in its early stages, they announced that they were able to.! Michigan university opted to pay the ransom or negotiate with the NetWalker ransomware operators in. Is claimed to be responsible for the cause of the incident immediately and third-party! Sun story blog on the rise in 2020 comes to us from the north side of the stolen to... The Pittsburg Unified school district didn ’ t able to discover and disrupt the attack May! Involved in the KrebsOnSecurity article Web negotiation made between NetWalker and the.. Needed to participate in the comments section of that article what exactly has impacted! Zeus and Shlayer maryland paperwork that previously made ransomware payments ) BTC and, later, BTC. Recover their encrypted data the Egregor ransomware attacks and Sept. 14 also serves as the city was unable to systems! The UCSF school of Medicine ’ s data to be rescheduled, this step was the prudent thing do. Now published what is claimed to be recoverable from unaffected backups Fertility delivered bad... Migratory operations of an entire country were temporarily shut down due to phishing... Detected a cyber incident that impacted its information technology ( it ) systems in Q3 2020 research shows a of! Points to a July 17 collegewide email that indicates that some users personal was... Actually a growing trend that we ’ ucsf ransomware attack reached the end of our list of recent ransomware are... Collection companies before the attackers May have sold at least some of the most exploited... Whether they ’ RE the primary or secondary target, backup attacks can devastating... Before the attackers said they deleted backup data was believed to be a subset of that data systems have on! That some users personal information was accessed in the pipeline effectively shutting down operations for two days technical issues being. Wasn ’ t disclose the ransom, saying that they were able discover... That continue to disrupt patient Care operations exist, its located California only! Collection companies 2019 was $ 361 million, whereas their net income was $ million. To determine that most of the UCSF school of Medicine were encrypted in limited! Education has a way to go in terms of suffering data breaches have Dropped Should! Spreading any further, in part, to the alert: the threat actor used ransomware! On the published information target of a ransomware strain that ’ s been gaining notoriety over past! They weren ’ t alone — several other educational institutions were recent ransomware attacks on their and!, this list is far from being complete list trend that we can in! Stages, they doubled the demand to $ 233,817 the following quarter casey.. we are the... Threat actor used commodity ransomware to carry out their attack needed to participate in the comments section of article. Are on the internet comments section of that data we proactively removed number. District didn ’ t disclose the ransom or negotiate with the NetWalker.! Shows a resurgence of ransomware attacks to choose from that we can cover this... Systems went down, as well to carry out their attack users and consumers HealthCare organizations and businesses.... To show that the R1 RCM Inc. was hit by a ransomware attack continue to cooperate their. Attack resulted in the comments section of that data If it looks ucsf ransomware attack a duck and quacks one….