Healthcare Giant UHS Hit By Ransomware Attack, Sources Say

Universal Health Services, one of the largest healthcare providers in the U.S., has been hit by a ransomware attack. “Looks like another case of ransomware at over 400 hospital locations,” writes Slashdot reader nickwinlund77. “They’ve had to go back to pen & paper for handling forms.” TechCrunch reports: The attack hit UHS systems early on Sunday morning, according to two people…

NetWalker Ransomware Gang Has Made $25 Million Since March 2020

The operators of the NetWalker ransomware are believed to have earned more than $25 million from ransom payments since March this year, security firm McAfee said today. From a report: Although precise and up-to-date statistics are not available, the $25 million figure puts NetWalker close to the top of the most successful ransomware gangs known today, with other known names such…

New Ransomware Targets Industrial Control Systems

In recent months, researchers have caught ransomware “intentionally tampering with industrial control systems that dams, electric grids, and gas refineries rely on to keep equipment running safely,” reports Ars Technica. According to researchers at the security firm Drago, the ransomware tries to kill 64 different processes, the names of which are all hard-coded within the malware. Long-time Slashdot reader Garabito shared…

Monroe College Hit With Ransomware, $2 Million Demanded

A ransomware attack in New York City’s Monroe College has shut down the college’s computer systems at campuses located in Manhattan, New Rochelle and St. Lucia. The attackers are seeking 170 bitcoins or approximately $2 million dollars in order to decrypt the entire college’s network. Bleeping Computer reports: According to the Daily News, Monroe College was hacked on Wednesday at 6:45…

Florida City Fires IT Employee After Paying Ransom Demand Last Week

Officials from Lake City, Florida, have fired an IT employee last week after the city was forced to approve a gigantic ransomware payment of nearly $500,000 last Monday. The employee, whose name was not released, was fired on Friday, according to local media reports, who cited the Lake City mayor. ZDNet reports: Lake City’s IT network was infected with malware on…