BankInfoSecurity reports that Virtual Care Provider Inc., which provides cloud hosting and other services to more than 110 healthcare entities, including nursing homes and assisted living facilities, is struggling to bounce back from a ransomware attack in which hackers demanded a $14 million ransom. The industry publication spoke with Los Angeles counsel Jason G. Weiss about the implications of the attack.
Weiss noted that the $14 million ransom demand against VCPI “seems exceptionally high for this type of event.”
“It appears that the attacker here believes that they have the victim in a '‘must pay” situation or they risk losing their business,” he added. “This is beyond difficult for the victim – especially as it relates to healthcare providers who work in a life or death situation every day.”
According to BankInfoSecurity, the health care sector has been plagued by ransomware attacks in recent months – some of which have had a devastating impact.
“The numbers show a dramatic increase in ransomware attacks in just the last year, and the number one target of ransomware attacks is the healthcare industry,” Weiss noted. “The time to prepare yourself is now. ... It is never too early to prepare yourself from these types of attacks.”
Organizations must ensure that their IT infrastructure defenses are current, active and properly monitored, he said. “Additionally, it is always wise to turn off all ports and services your business doesn't need,” he added.
According to Weiss, “There is no 100 percent solution to fully protecting your network as long as there are people using it, but you can better protect your network and your business by training your employees to avoid common social engineering attacks that lead to the spread of attacks like ransomware.”