Multiple Cyberattacks Reported Targeting Colorado Dept of Higher Ed, Prospect Medical
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Cybersecurity attacks have been on the rise in recent years. Late last week, news broke about multiple cyberattacks targeting government and critical healthcare infrastructure. The first attack, which was disclosed in an official release from the Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) on August 4, 2023, resulted in the potential disclosure of personally identifiable information (PII) of both students and educators spanning from 2004 to 2020. According to the department, this cyberattack was a ransomware incident which occurred between June 11 and June 19, 2023 and was discovered on June 19.
The second attack occurred last week and targeted Prospect Medical Holdings, a California-based company that operates hospitals and clinics in Texas, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and California. This attack impacted critical hospital infrastructure and resulted in the closure of emergency departments at several of their hospitals. According to the Associated Press, the White House and National Security Council are monitoring the situation. While officials would neither confirm nor deny specific details, the breach is also believed to be a ransomware attack.
According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), a ransomware attack is a “type of malicious attack where attackers encrypt an organization’s data and demand payment to restore access.”
The FBI advises victims of ransomware attacks not to pay any ransom as there is no guarantee that compromised data will not be sold or disclosed at a later date.
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