New Ransomware Virus Targets Healthcare

A new ransomware virus targeting healthcare organizations spreads via a Microsoft Word attached to emails. The messages are customized to appear they come from a trusted source in this new attack, dubbed Defray.
Healthcare Dive reports that in one example, an attachment titled Patient Report used the logo of a hospital in the United Kingdom and claimed to be from the hospital’s director of information management. The ransomware demands $5,000 in Bitcoin to release encrypted files.
This is the latest in a flurry of cyber attacks on on providers and facilities. In June a strain of the Petya computer virus ravished Europe and struck some targets in the United States, including major healthcare providers.
In May, a global attack by the WannaCry attacked 199,000 victims in 104 countries using phishing emails.

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Brad Ericson

Director of Publishing at AAPC

Brad Ericson, MPC, CPC, COSC, is a seasoned healthcare writer and editor.He directed publishing at AAPC for nearly 12 years and worked at Ingenix for 13 years and Aetna Health Plans prior to that. He has been writing and publishing about healthcare since 1979. He received his Bachelor's in Journalism from Idaho State University and his Master's of Professional Communication degree from Westminster College of Salt Lake City.

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