HHS Issues Warning to U.S. Health Care Organizations

May 19, 2017

Prompted by a massive cyber-attack earlier this month in England, United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued a warning to U.S. health care organizations. 

The attack was caused when information systems across the country became infected with ransom-ware known as, WannaCry. The United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) has received multiple reports of WannaCry infects in several other countries around the world. Ransom-ware is a type of malicious software that infects a computer and restricts users' access until a ransom is paid to unlock it. Individuals and organizations are discouraged from paying the ransom, as this does not guarantee access will be restored.

Here's how you can protect yourself:

1. Only open emails from people you know and that you are expecting.
2. Don't click on links in emails if you weren't expecting them.
3. Keep your computer and antivirus up to date.
4. Disable RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) if you don't need it.
5. If RDP is needed, only allow network access where needed.

The above article content is courtesy of: HHS Office for Civil Rights in Action.
Read More Here: https://www.us-cert.gov/ncas/alerts/TA16-091A