HIMSS guidance examines new malware, ransom approaches

A new cybersecurity environmental scan report from the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society examines new threats, offers new guidance from several sources and includes some new services from vendors.

For instance, The United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team has released an alert on the Avalanche botnet that distributes malware to victims and offers remediation steps. Information from the Internal Revenue Service can help healthcare organizations targeted by tax fraud schemes.



Newer ransomware includes GoldenEye, which is similar to Petya and Mischa malware and encrypts files while also locking a computer’s hard drive. And then there is Popcorn Time, which is ransomware that does not require a payment from its victims if they try to infect a couple friends, HIMSS reports.

Also See: 6 critical security best practices for providers

Another innovation: To reduce credit card fraud with “card not present” transactions, OberThur Technologies makes a credit card with a security code that refreshes automatically and randomly each hour.

The HIMSS guidance further includes a link to Nova Labs, which offers a virtual cybersecurity lab to raise awareness within organizations. The lab is a game where players defend a company increasingly under attack by improving defenses, cracking passwords and creating code.

The cybersecurity environmental report is available here.