October 29, 2020
By Edward Roche, PhD, JD Federal Authorities May Impose Civil Penalties against Hospitals Paying Ransomware Demands
Hospitals could be charged $250,000 or twice the demand amount, whichever is greater. In October 2020, the United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued an advisory on potential sanction risks for facilitating ransomware payments. It warned that entities, including hospitals, paying off ransomware extortion…
By Edward Roche, PhD, JD
The ransomware crisis continues to impact hospitals and health systems with little sign of slowing down. In 2017, IT security in healthcare was in the media spotlight. In May, the WannaCry ransomware hit thousands of information systems. It was followed by NotPetya, which took down Merck and Nuance. In June,…
August 10, 2017
By Edward Roche, PhD, JD The Origins of Cryptoviral Extortion and Ransomware: Part IX
EDITOR'S NOTE: Edward Roche, in association with RACmonitor, is writing a series of articles on the need for U.S. healthcare facilities to protect themselves from cybercriminals demanding ransoms for patient records. This is the ninth installment in the series. Today, we take a brief look back in history to determine:…
June 21, 2017
By Edward Roche, PhD, JD Here Come the Cyber RACs: DHS Cybersecurity Task Force Releases Report — Says Current Guidelines Inadequate
Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce held a hearing on cybersecurity in healthcare. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Cybersecurity Task Force also just released a report suggesting that current guidelines are not adequate to meet the current situation. The hearing was prompted…
June 14, 2017
By Edward Roche, PhD, JD The Ransomware Crisis, Part III: Best Practices
EDITOR'S NOTE: Edward Roche, in association with RACmonitor, is writing a series on the need for healthcare facilities in the U.S. to protect themselves from cybercriminals demanding ransom for patient records. This is the third installment in a series of reports on the ransomware crisis facing America’s hospitals. The world…
By Edward Roche, PhD, JD
EDITOR'S NOTE: Edward Roche, in association with RACmonitor, is writing a series on the need for healthcare facilities in the U.S. to protect themselves from cybercriminals demanding ransom for patient records. This is the second piece in a series of reports on the ransomware crisis. Hospitals are under attack, as…
May 17, 2017
By Edward Roche, PhD, JD The Ransomware Crisis: Part I
EDITOR'S NOTE: Following last week’s global cyberattack that spread through approximately 150 nations, particularly impacting the U.K.’s National Health Service, Edward Roche, in association with RACmonitor, is producing a series on the need for healthcare facilities in the U.S. to protect themselves from cybercriminals, demanding ransom for patient records. This…