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Coronavirus and Cybercrime

Hackers’ exploits on healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic

In these trying times, of into the networks. They their IT department. If a staff member pro- • When in doubt, verify. Unsure if an
what feels like a surreal sci- are after health records, ceeded, then the hackers were able to email request is legitimate? Verify it by
ence fiction movie, cybercrim- personal and financial record them using their username and contacting the company or person directly.
inals and gangs of hackers are information. password credentials. Contact the company using information
targeting healthcare profes- “It’s unfortunate, how- That’s all the info hackers need to get provided on an account statement, not
sionals and medical organiza- ever, but in times of crisis into accounts. It’s like leaving your front information provided in an email.
tions with online scams. and uncertainty, cyber- door unlocked and your keys in your car’s • Do not give out information. Do not
For instance, hackers have criminals forge ahead to ignition. reveal any personal and financial informa-
reportedly sent seemingly trick unsuspecting people Heatmaps were used in another scam, as tion ever.
legitimate appearing emails into clicking on links and reported by Krebs on Security, a cyberse- • Keep your computer clean. Use an
from the Centers for Disease opening infected files with curity news website. The heatmaps track updated anti-virus. Keep all software on
Control and Prevention, ask- computer viruses known details on the coronavirus outbreak, but internet-connected devices – including
ing email recipients to click BY ANDREA RICHARD as malware, which is a they are infected with malware. What PCs, smartphones and tablets – up to date
on a link and open attached software that can break appears like an authoritative resource, is, to reduce risk of infection from malware.
documents. It’s not the CDC, into your computer’s sys- well dangerous.
but the hackers impersonating the federal tem and cause all kinds of havoc and dis- Cybercriminals are motivated by differ- Security tips for working
organization in hopes of tricking people. rupt hospitals’ operations,” says Sanjay ent things. They hack for monetary gain, from your home
It happens often and more so since the Deo, Founder and President of of course, and they also exploit because of Use a company-issued Virtual Private
COVID-19 pandemic, as reported. 24By7Security, a cybersecurity and com- clashes in political ideology. They’ve been Network (VPN) to access any work
Those emails sent, once someone clicks pliance advisory firm. known to cause chaos by spreading, not accounts. Update home routers to the
and/or opens malicious software, this As healthcare practitioners work under only malicious software, but misinforma- most current software. Secure them with a
quick action enables the bad actors to undue stress and navigate what is the new tion. Whatever their motives are, there are lengthy, unique passphrase. Employees
swipe data and information right off the normal set of challenges, they do need to ways to remain vigilant online and stay should not be connecting to public WiFi
computer, tablet, mobile phone and other be mindful of online scams. safe by following best practices. Take extra to access work accounts unless using a
devices connected online. SkyCam reported in mid-March that an precautions and do not give out personal VPN.
Any information saved into a browser email campaign with malware was sent to information, login credentials. Be careful Lock Down Your Login. Create long
such as usernames and passwords are at healthcare professionals, making urgent while responding to any urgent requests and unique passphrases for all accounts
risk of being stolen. claims for them to sign-up for a coron- because using a sense of urgency is a com- and use multi-factor authentication
Hackers have been aggressively ramping avirus awareness seminar. The email writ- mon tactic among scheming cybercrimi- (MFA) wherever possible.
up their attacks on hospitals’ computer ten with the subject “ALL STAFF: Corona nals. Limit user access to devices. Only the
systems, seeking vulnerabilities to break Virus Awareness” seemed to come from approved user should use the device (fam-
Tips from Stay Safe Online ily and friends should not use a work-
on avoiding being a victim issued device).
Use company-approved/vetted devices
When It Comes to Patient Care of online scams and applications. Don't install your pre-
The following tips published by the
National Cyber Security Alliance’s Stay ferred tools as opposed to ones that have
(and COVID – 19), Facts, Not Fears Safe Online (staysafeonline.org), were been vetted by the company's security
edited for brevity. team.
•Think before you click. Cyber - Update your software. Before connect-
By the time you read this, hopefully everyone
(the medical community, the media, the politi- criminals are exploiting people during the ing to your corporate network, be sure
cians and the public at large) are all on the same COVID-19 outbreak. Cyber criminals are that all internet-connected devices
page when it comes to the truths on COVID – 19. distributing malware campaigns that including PCs, smartphones and tablets
As of this writing, there is very little alignment. impersonate organizations like WHO, are running the most current versions of
Despite navigating the idiosyncrasies of a new CDC, and other reputable sources by ask- software. Updates include important
worldwide pandemic, the medical community ing you to click on links or download out- changes that improve the performance
and public health organizations are at the fore- break maps. Go directly to a reputable and security of your devices.
front of accuracy with the media (both ‘news’ and website to access the content.
social) being much less precise. The message • Double check the website’s URL. Andrea Richard is Customer Acquisition
therefore became very blurry. Malicious websites may use a variation in Specialist, 24By7 Security, Inc. For more
For example, at the time of this writing, people spelling or a different domain (e.g., .com information, visit www.24By7Security.com.
focused more on stocking up on toilet paper than BY JAY JUFFRE versus .net).
isolating older family members (and those with
compromised immune systems). The politicians
all seemed stuck in the middle, trying to calm fears while at the same time, try-
ing to get hospitals and communities the resources they need. Bars, restau-
rants, schools and gatherings have been closed, reduced in numbers or can-
celled.
I don’t often talk about what I do, because these columns are always geared
toward patient care and staff engagement, but ImageFIRST is the largest
national supplier of medical linen to the healthcare provider market. Like our
customers, their teams and other critical vendors, at times like this, it is vital
that we stay on the forefront of the latest information. Despite an evolving sit-
uation, over-communicating the facts to our patients, their families and our
teams should remain a key focus. My dad, who is elderly, asked me the other
day how there can be so many “experts” on TV on a subject that is brand new.
I explained to him there is a huge difference in knowledge between someone
from the CDC and a blogger who writes about anything and everything. As the
folks on the forefront, we have an obligation to our communities to continue
to base our action on the facts, while at the same time controlling unnecessary
fears.
Jay Juffre is Executive Vice President, ImageFIRST. For more information on
ImageFIRST, call 1-800-932-7472 or visit www.imagefirst.com.

South Florida Hospital News southfloridahospitalnews.com April 2020 11