Ohio medical center offline following another security incident in the health sector

A cybersecurity incident has forced the computer systems of an Ohio medical center offline for multiple days and prompted the clinic to postpone elective procedures for patients. A statement Tuesday from the Ashtabula County Medical Center, which includes a hospital of more than 200 beds, said the emergency department remains open and that outpatient care has continued as outside security experts investigate the disruption. The medical center did not specify the cause of the security incident, though Wired reported that ransomware was the cause. A spokesperson for the medical center did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday. NBC News first reported on the medical center’s statement. The disruption at Ashtabula County Medical Center comes as Universal Health Services, which describes itself as one of the largest health care providers in the U.S. grapples with a suspected ransomware attack. In what has become a familiar refrain in health care organizations’ response to cyberattacks, […]

The post Ohio medical center offline following another security incident in the health sector appeared first on CyberScoop.

Continue reading Ohio medical center offline following another security incident in the health sector

German investigators treating ransomware attack as negligent homicide, reports say

German prosecutors last week opened a homicide investigation into a deadly ransomware incident on a university hospital, according to multiple German media reports. If confirmed, it would be the first documented case of a death stemming, directly or indirectly, from a cyberattack, analysts say. Christoph Hebbecker, a cybercrime prosecutor in the German city of Cologne, said Friday that his office had opened an investigation into the ransomware attack as a “negligent homicide,” the Germany news agency DPA reported. The investigation centers around a ransomware infection that hobbled the IT systems of the University of Duesseldorf’s main hospital earlier this month. The disruption forced a critically ill patient to be redirected to a hospital 20 miles away. The patient later died, according to German media reports. Hebbecker’s spokesperson did not return a request for comment on Monday. The incident highlights the starkly different risks facing organizations with vulnerable software. For some, […]

The post German investigators treating ransomware attack as negligent homicide, reports say appeared first on CyberScoop.

Continue reading German investigators treating ransomware attack as negligent homicide, reports say

Cyborg locusts sniff out a career in detecting explosives

In the near(ish) future we could be using cyborg locusts as sniffer dogs to detect explosives, according to a new proof of concept study. A team showed that locusts could smell different amounts of explosive chemicals in the air to track the location o… Continue reading Cyborg locusts sniff out a career in detecting explosives

Underground bunker would let you ride out the apocalypse in luxury

Survival bunkers are big business nowadays, with some people prepared to splash serious cash to try and ensure their safety, come what may. The Plan B underground bunker is purely conceptual at the moment, but looks like it could cater to well-heeled t… Continue reading Underground bunker would let you ride out the apocalypse in luxury

Family Safety and Security with Andy Murphy from The Secure Dad Podcast

In episode 127 for June 29th 2020: Family safety and security with special guest Andy Murphy host of The Secure Dad podcast. I really enjoyed this interview with Andy! If you’re looking for a podcast about home and family security, self-defense, … Continue reading Family Safety and Security with Andy Murphy from The Secure Dad Podcast

AI system designed to aid – or perhaps replace – human lifeguards

Lifeguards do play a vital role in the prevention of drownings, but at large busy beaches, they can’t always keep track of all the swimmers at all times. That’s where Sightbit is designed to come in, as it uses artificial intelligence to catch what lif… Continue reading AI system designed to aid – or perhaps replace – human lifeguards

Hackaday Links: May 24, 2020

We’re saddened to learn of the passing of Gershon Kingsley in December 2019 at the age of 97. The composer and electronic music pioneer was not exactly a household name, but the things he did with the Moog synthesizer, especially the surprise hit “Pop Corn”, which he wrote in 1969, …read more

Continue reading Hackaday Links: May 24, 2020

CNC Plasma Cutter Filter Gets the Slag Out

No matter what kind of tools and materials you use in your shop, chances are pretty good that some process is going to release something that you don’t want to breathe. Table saw? Better deal with that wood dust. 3D-printer? We’ve discussed fume control ad nauseam. Soldering? It’s best not …read more

Continue reading CNC Plasma Cutter Filter Gets the Slag Out

Romanian police bust hackers allegedly plotting ransomware attacks on hospitals

Romanian authorities said Friday they had disrupted a cybercriminal group that planned to conduct ransomware attacks on hospitals in the country. The hackers intended to pose as government officials and send malicious emails to public health institutions that purported to contain information on the coronavirus, according to the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT), one of Romania’s top law enforcement agencies. Such ransomware attacks could disrupt the IT systems of hospitals, DIICOT said. But before that could happen, police and security officials said they searched the suspects’ properties in Romania and neighboring Moldova. All four suspects were arrested, ZDNet reported. The hackers planned to threaten hospitals to protest Romania’s state of emergency, which has restricted public gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Romanian news outlet Stirile Pro Tv. The threat of attacking hospitals would be a much more serious crime than the website defacements and other low-skill digital mischief usually […]

The post Romanian police bust hackers allegedly plotting ransomware attacks on hospitals appeared first on CyberScoop.

Continue reading Romanian police bust hackers allegedly plotting ransomware attacks on hospitals

Enforce Social Distancing with High Voltage

When getting parts together for a one-off project, we often find ourselves with some leftovers on hand. Most of the time these things go in the junk drawer, but [Brad] aka [AtomicZombie] was working on a project which required parts salvaged from several microwave ovens. That left him with enough …read more

Continue reading Enforce Social Distancing with High Voltage