Critical infrastructure depends on interconnected operational systems, where cyber incidents can disrupt essential services, safety, and availability.
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Background for this topic.
Critical infrastructure includes systems and assets vital for public health, safety, and economic stability, such as power grids, water treatment, transportation networks, and healthcare facilities. These systems often combine physical components with industrial control systems (ICS) and operational technology (OT) that manage essential services in real time.
From an information-security perspective, critical infrastructure faces risks like unauthorized access to control systems, disruption of service availability, and manipulation of sensor data. Defending these assets requires specialized security measures tailored to ICS environments, including network segmentation, strict access controls, and continuous monitoring for anomalies. Ensuring resilience also involves coordinated efforts between operators and government agencies to address vulnerabilities unique to legacy systems and proprietary protocols.
Cyberattacks Soar, But Guarding PHI From Break-Ins, Natural Disasters Is CriticalDespite the endless barrage of cyberattacks hitting the healthcare sector, HIPAA-regulated entities must not neglect their duty to protect electronic patient information against physical threats, including burglaries and natural disasters, U.S. regulators said.
Also: Ransomware Threats in Healthcare; the Growth of MimecastIn the latest weekly update, ISMG editors discussed the evolving disclosure responsibilities of CISOs, yet another ransomware attack targeting the healthcare sector, and Mimecast's latest strategic acquisition as part of its broader expansion efforts.
Group Claims a NY Surgical Center and a Nevada Medical Center Among Recent VictimsU.S. authorities are warning healthcare sector entities of incidents involving Everest, a Russian-speaking ransomware group and initial access broker, which claims to have stolen sensitive patient information in recent attacks, including on two medical care providers in New York and Nevada.
The guidance is part of a coordinated, global effort to eradicate living-off-the-land techniques used against critical infrastructure.
RedSense's Bohuslavskiy and Smith on How Attacks on Healthcare Show DesperationRedSense’s Yelisey Bohuslavskiy and Marley Smith believe ransomware is declining but caution that it still poses a significant threat. While attackers recycle old methods, they're taking desperate measures to target vulnerable groups such as cancer centers and to stoke fears in the marketplace.
Healthcare has been the most targeted sector according to Barracuda analysis of 200 reported ransomware incidents from August 2023 to July 2024
Healthcare organization Jewish Home Lifecare has revealed that a 2024 data breach hit over 100,000 customers
Healthcare groups should consider several key points about a recent Texas federal court ruling and its impact on the use of online tracker technology on the healthcare websites of HIPAA-regulated organizations, said privacy attorney Iliana Peters of the law firm Polsinelli.