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Heritage Valley Health System Target Of Cyber Attack (cbslocal.com)

Posted by msmash on from the aggressive-expansion dept.

The Heritage Valley Health System says it has been hit with a cyber attack. From a report: A spokeswoman confirmed the attack Tuesday morning. "Heritage Valley Health System has been affected by a cyber security incident. The incident is widespread and is affecting the entire health system including satellite and community locations. We have implemented downtime procedures and made operational adjustments to ensure safe patient care continues un-impeded." Heritage Valley is a $480 million network that provides care for residents of Allegheny, Beaver, Butler and Lawrence counties, in Pennsylvania; parts of eastern Ohio; and the panhandle of West Virginia. Also read: Ukrainian Banks, Electricity Firm Hit by Fresh Cyber Attack; Reports Claim the Ransomware Is Quickly Spreading Across the World.

24 comments

  1. Don't worry, I have a solution. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Upload a virus to the alien mothership to disable the shield, then have a team of small fighters strike the thermal exhaust port with a carefully aimed shot.

    It'll be like shooting womprats with a nail gun.

  2. Another "victim" by Dunbal · · Score: 2, Insightful

    This is all self inflicted. Next time hire people who actually know about IT and cybersecurity instead of listening to the MBA argue about how much money you can save by outsourcing it "to the cloud".

    --
    Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
    1. Re:Another "victim" by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 2

      Oh yeah... Gotta love the cloud. (SFW)

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
    2. Re:Another "victim" by chispito · · Score: 2

      This is all self inflicted. Next time hire people who actually know about IT and cybersecurity instead of listening to the MBA argue about how much money you can save by outsourcing it "to the cloud".

      Or perhaps you know nothing about their IT department or hiring practices, the challenges they face, or what led to this infection?

      --
      The Daddy casts sleep on the Baby. The Baby resists!
    3. Re:Another "victim" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You shouldn't always make this assumption. From personal experience, there isn't a lot IT people can do if the CFO/board won't allow any IT expenditures. IT staff with even remotely sensible budgets often forget how much something as simple as a few thousand dollar license (or training) helps.

      Still an organizational failure, though.

    4. Re:Another "victim" by Dunbal · · Score: 3, Informative

      or what led to this infection?

      Microsoft Windows (tm).

      --
      Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
    5. Re: Another "victim" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Actually of their data where on "the cloud" they would probably not be encrypted by a Windows ransomware ;-)

    6. Re:Another "victim" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Being that I live in this area, it can only be good for the local job market.

    7. Re:Another "victim" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Have you not learned that everyone who responds to a Slashdot comment is convinced that they are smarter than everyone else involved?

      You could post a link to a wikipedia article on steam engines to Slashdot, and the comments will be filled with people explaining why they won't work, and how it's SO OBVIOUS everyone should know it.

    8. Re: Another "victim" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Installing Linux requires no license. Most software is FOSS. They don't want to lose their job because they don't have to stay as busy.

  3. Re:Are They Sure It's a Hack? by Nutria · · Score: 1

    No, it's a hack. (I got spam yesterday with a link deep down in their website.)

    --
    "I don't know, therefore Aliens" Wafflebox1
  4. Ditch Windows already! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Ah, and let the NSA pay for the damages. Sitting on a vulnerability. Pffh.

    1. Re:Ditch Windows already! by chispito · · Score: 1

      Ah, and let the NSA pay for the damages. Sitting on a vulnerability. Pffh.

      I'm sure they'll happily do that when you write new software for them and buy them a new MRI machine that runs on Linux and automatically receives zero-risk security updates.

      --
      The Daddy casts sleep on the Baby. The Baby resists!
    2. Re: Ditch Windows already! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I found open source software for my MacBook in 2008; I'm sure the software already exists. As far as writing a "new OS," there are thousands of Linux distros in existence. I'm sure someone could whip one up. They already make a few just for healthcare. What you have is IT guys using Window$ so they stay busy.

    3. Re: Ditch Windows already! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      All updates are verified as they come in on Linux. I know zypper uses SHA1 on everything. You get an error, it makes you type the last so many digits of the sum it finds before letting you continue with the update. Also, on OpenSUSE, you can separate your partitions and LUKS 512 encryption all of them if you wanted to. Nothing gets mounted or moves forward in the booting without the password, which can be different for all of them. When you turn off/disable something on Linux, it's actually off. Backing up servers are easier too. All current supercomputers use Linux. Linux is the best and IT, PC gamers just need to get the hell over it and buy a gaming console.

    4. Re: Ditch Windows already! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      MacBook != MRI machine

  5. stop using Windows by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Just stop using Windows, for God's sake! Geez...

    1. Re: stop using Windows by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You'd think people would learn, but the only "free" a Window$ user understands is Freemium. If it makes you feel better, I know at least one healthcare place that's switching to Linux.

  6. Using windows is a security risk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Time for the world to accept that and kill it..

  7. Cyber cider by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    They were hacked. Call it what it is.

  8. Thanks by raind · · Score: 1

    NSA - Not Secret Anymore

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    Get up!
  9. The list of hospitals that have been hit with atta by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This is a serious issue. Hospitals are starting to look like fools who leave the doors open to the house and expect to not get robbed. Vendors aren't changing their practices because the industry isn't making them do so. When the heck will hospital IT admins and executives start taking IT Security as seriously as they take narcotics monitoring and provider credentialing.