https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🧵" title="Thread" aria-label="Emoji: Thread">/https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="👋🏼" title="Waving hand (mittelheller Hautton)" aria-label="Emoji: Waving hand (mittelheller Hautton)"> Just want to draw some attention to the fact that there’s an imminent threat to U.S. hospitals from another type of virus (ransomware, actually)

Here’s a short thread on what ransomware is, and how such an attack could impact #COVID19 response efforts

/1 https://twitter.com/briankrebs/status/1321550140474331136">https://twitter.com/briankreb...

Gross simplification: ransomware refers to a piece of software installed by hackers looking to extort the owner of the IT system. The software itself can be made to:
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🔸" title="Kleine orangene Raute" aria-label="Emoji: Kleine orangene Raute">”lock” computer systems, making them unusable
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🔸" title="Kleine orangene Raute" aria-label="Emoji: Kleine orangene Raute">delete mission critical data
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🔸" title="Kleine orangene Raute" aria-label="Emoji: Kleine orangene Raute">extract sensitive data
/2

This particular ransomware attack has been traced back to Russia, per @briankrebs

https://krebsonsecurity.com/2020/10/fbi-dhs-hhs-warn-of-imminent-credible-ransomware-threat-against-u-s-hospitals/
/3">https://krebsonsecurity.com/2020/10/f...

Ransomware attacks aren’t new, especially not to US hospitals. @ahahospitals has a well-written article on he topic:

https://www.aha.org/center/cybersecurity-and-risk-advisory-services/ransomware-attacks-hospitals-have-changed

/4">https://www.aha.org/center/cy...

To my knowledge, this is the first time the FBI, DHS, and HHS have issued a joint “imminent threat” warning.

This comes just days after another ransomware attack knocked out computer access in 400 hospitals:

https://www.wired.com/story/universal-health-services-ransomware-attack/

/5">https://www.wired.com/story/uni...

Depending on the nature and scope of the attack, we could be dealing with a situation where affected hospitals are unable to report #COVID19:
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🔸" title="Kleine orangene Raute" aria-label="Emoji: Kleine orangene Raute">test results
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🔸" title="Kleine orangene Raute" aria-label="Emoji: Kleine orangene Raute">hospitalizations
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🔸" title="Kleine orangene Raute" aria-label="Emoji: Kleine orangene Raute">deaths
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🔸" title="Kleine orangene Raute" aria-label="Emoji: Kleine orangene Raute">PPE supplies
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🔸" title="Kleine orangene Raute" aria-label="Emoji: Kleine orangene Raute">and more
/6

This would seriously undermine our ability to:
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🔸" title="Kleine orangene Raute" aria-label="Emoji: Kleine orangene Raute">quickly identify hospitals in need of supplies and staffing
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🔸" title="Kleine orangene Raute" aria-label="Emoji: Kleine orangene Raute">arrange hospital-to-hospital transfers
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🔸" title="Kleine orangene Raute" aria-label="Emoji: Kleine orangene Raute">direct PPE resources to where they are most needed
/7

Again, depending on the nature and scope of the attack:
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🔸" title="Kleine orangene Raute" aria-label="Emoji: Kleine orangene Raute">personal health information may be stolen and disclosed
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🔸" title="Kleine orangene Raute" aria-label="Emoji: Kleine orangene Raute">electronic medical records may be deleted, and would need to be restored from backups
/8

All of that to say, this is a *HUUUUGE* national security issue.

We are under attack.

All hospitals have “downtime” protocols that would serve as a stopgap for a few hours, but they’re not designed to be a full replacement.

This is a major, major problem.

/end

For a deeper dive, please see: https://twitter.com/markhertling/status/1321632409457250305">https://twitter.com/markhertl...