"Iranian Actors Targeting Healthcare via Spear-Phishing, Vulnerability Exploit"

The US Department of Health and Human Services' Cybersecurity Coordination Center (HC3) issued a warning about the threat posed by Iranian nation-state actors to the healthcare sector. In June 2021, the FBI foiled an Iranian-backed cyberattack on Boston Children's Hospital. The white paper describes the groups, with a particular emphasis on the healthcare sector, as well as critical mitigating factors and common exploits. Provider entities are encouraged to review the insights to ensure that the necessary security measures are in place. Iran and North Korea continue to conduct sophisticated intrusions against US targets. The HC3 report, fueled by previous efforts, notes that Iranian threat actors are historically risk-averse and notorious for wiper malware as well as retaliatory attack strategies. These actors frequently conduct spear phishing, Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks, sensitive data theft, website defacement, and social media-driven operations. Furthermore, these organizations have signed cybersecurity and information technology agreements with both Russia and China, expanding their cyber capabilities and potential impacts. The healthcare sector and medical researchers are heavily targeted by four groups, with spear phishing being the most common initial intrusion vector. One group often uses healthcare-related lures, as well as job postings, password policies, or resumes. HC3 is the most concerned about these groups' ability to use fake personas that realistically mimic legitimate entities, including believable CC'd email addresses that make users difficult to detect. The use of email as a pivot point is a common tactic in healthcare, but it is also one of the most difficult defense challenges. Providers should use the HC3 white paper to assess the current state of their email program by reviewing current processes. For providers to review, the insights detail the three phases of an attack as well as the aftermath. The report also includes a list of commonly exploited vulnerabilities that should be patched or segmented from the network right away. This article continues to discuss the threat of Iranian nation-state actors faced by the healthcare sector.

SC Magazine reports "Iranian Actors Targeting Healthcare via Spear-Phishing, Vulnerability Exploit"