Illustration by Ana Kova
Federal agencies warned hospitals, health care providers, and public health groups Wednesday that they were at risk of an “increased and imminent cybercrime threat” from ransomware, which could paralyze their computer systems and make it hard for them to deliver care. At least four hospitals have reported cyberattacks this week, and hundreds more could be at risk.
This could be “the biggest attack we’ve ever seen,” Allan Liska, an intelligence analyst for the firm Recorded Future, told CNN.
The attacks come as hospitals across the country are struggling to handle spikes in COVID-19 cases. Ransomware attacks shut down hospital computer systems, often forcing them to turn to pen and paper charts and sometimes locking them out of systems…