Hive Ransomware Continues to Target Healthcare Providers

Recent data breaches demonstrate the increasing frequency of Hive Ransomware and other hacker organizations into the networks of US healthcare facilities.High-profile hacks continue to jeopardize healthcare systems and patient data, but smaller breaches may be just as damaging. Smaller clinics have become easy targets for unscrupulous hackers because they lack the means to resist and recover from a ransomware assault. In the meanwhile, illegal access to patient information remains a concern for other organizations.

Missouri Delta Medical Center was the target of a cyberattack on September 9 perpetrated by Hive Ransomware, a prominent hacker organization known for attacks on the healthcare industry, according to St. Louis Public Radio.Hive began putting patient information, including medical information, names, and Social Security numbers, online.

Hive previously claimed responsibility for a ransomware assault on Memorial Health System in August, which caused EHR outages, appointment cancellations, and emergency room diversions.Later, the FBI released a flash alert alerting organization about Hive Ransomware. The government issued guidelines on how to avoid, identify, and respond to a Hive Ransomware attack, as well as a warning to the healthcare industry to be cautious.

Hive is known to use phishing emails to obtain network access and RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) to explore the network once inside.The medical institution is working with an independent security agency and has not yet posted an official statement on its website regarding the event. Although the investigation is underway, it appears that the medical center’s EHR system remained unaffected.