Federal regulators alerted healthcare and public health sector entities of an “elevated threat” for potential ransomware attacks by BlackMatter. In “HHS Warns Health Sector of BlackMatter Attacks,” DataBreachToday turned to privacy, cybersecurity and data strategy counsel Jason G. Weiss for insight on the ransomware gang, which claims that it is not targeting “critical infrastructure” organizations, such as hospitals.
The publication described how, according to the alert, a BlackMatter representative claimed that the group does not attack a variety of industries, and if these entities are attacked, then the organization can ask for “free decryption.”
Weiss explained that BlackMatter is just one of approximately 20 known and active ransomware gangs working globally. “All these ransomware gangs are a true and present danger to the healthcare sector in particular,” he added.
“The healthcare sector deals with life and death matters on a daily basis,” Weiss said. “They are not risking just the encryption of their business documents, but in many instances, these ransomware attacks are also attacking their ‘operational technology’ networks that control the actual infrastructure of these healthcare entities and put real lives at risk.”
