Last Month in Security Episode 001: Healthcare in the Crosshairs

We are excited to launch the Halcyon video/podcast series Last Month in Security where we will cover some hot topics in security every month - and of course a good portion of every show will be dedicated to some deep diving on the ransomware epidemic.

In this first episode, host Anthony M. Freed, Halcyon Director of Research and Comms, is joined by panelists Ben Carr, Halcyon Advisory CISO, and Ryan Golden, Halcyon CMO. The convo begins with a look at the record-breaking year in ransomware that was 2023.

We take a look at some of the big stats, the headliner being a report from Chainalysis that revealed ransom payments in 2023 exceeded $1 billion, breaking all previous estimations, as well as some estimates on the sheer volume and impact from these attacks.

We also examine how attackers are improving TTPs and recap some of the more epic exploits including the GoAnywhere, MoveIT and VMware ESXI campaigns and the role automation is playing in these mass compromises.

Then we touch on some of the more surprising TTPs observed recently and the increasing overlap between state-sponsored and cybercriminal operations, like DLL side-loading and more zero-day exploits detected in use by ransomware operators.

And finally, we dive into the onslaught of attacks targeting the Healthcare sector and how it impacts not just operations but patient outcomes.  

Of note: between 2016 and 2021, it is estimated that ransomware attacks contributed to 42 and 67 patient deaths and a 33% increase in deaths of hospitalized Medicare patients per month due to ransomware attacks.

The panel then considers whether attacks on healthcare and other critical infrastructure providers could rise to the level of terrorism, and whether a terrorism designation would give us more tools to work beyond the civilian criminal justice system in combatting these attacks.

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Halcyon.ai is the leading anti-ransomware company. Global 2000 companies rely on the Halcyon platform defeat ransomware with minimal business disruption through built-in bypass and evasion protection, key material capture, automated decryption, and data exfiltration and extortion prevention – talk to a Halcyon expert today to find out more. Halcyon also publishes a quarterly RaaS (Ransomware as a Service) and extortion group reference guide, Power Rankings: Ransomware Malicious Quartile, and check out the Recent Ransomware Attacks resource site.