"Iranian Hackers Planned Attack on Boston Children's Hospital Last Summer, FBI Director Says"
The FBI recently released that it managed to detect and mitigate an attack by Iranian state-sponsored hackers against Boston's Children's Hospital last summer. The FBI Director Christopher Wray stated that the quick actions by everyone involved, especially at the hospital, protected both the network and the sick kids that were dependent on it. Wray called the incident one of the "most despicable cyberattacks" he's seen, but he noted that the threat was hardly an isolated one. The FBI in 2021 saw ransomware attacks against 14 of 16 services deemed critical infrastructure by the U.S. government, including hospitals. The FBI issued a warning last November that Iranian hackers were seeking data that could be used to hack U.S. companies. Wray stated that the agency has been "laser-focused" on potential threats to critical infrastructure resulting from the United States' support of Ukraine during Russia's ongoing invasion of the nation. Wray noted that the United States has observed Russia "taking specific preparatory steps towards potential destructive attacks, both here and abroad." And the fallout of those attacks could get worse. Wray stated that the FBI is watching for their cyber activities to become more destructive as the war keeps going poorly for them. Wray noted that China is studying the Ukraine conflict very closely and is trying to figure out how to improve its own capabilities to deter or hurt the U.S. in connection with an assault on Taiwan. Wray stated that the U.S. has to hold the line on multiple fronts all at once and warned that the U.S. cannot let up on China, Iran, or criminal syndicates while being focused on Russia.