US Government Calls for Extra Vigilance Against Cyberattacks

With the war in the Ukraine, the government has warned health care organizations to be cautious of potential cyberattacks.

TECHNOLOGY UPDATE

All organizations, including those in health care, have been alerted by the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) of the US government to be extra vigilant against cyber threats due to the war in Ukraine. Russia has launched cyberattacks against Ukraine, and the impacts may stretch beyond the region, especially as the United States implements sanctions against Russia.

CISA noted that organizations should be prepared to respond to disruptive cyber activity; they also asked that all cyber incidents be reported as soon as possible.

They further recommend all organizations—regardless of size—adopt a heightened posture when it comes to cybersecurity and protecting their most critical assets. Recognizing that many organizations find it challenging to identify resources for urgent security improvements, CISA has compiled a catalog of free services from government partners, and industry to assist.

More information can be found in their Alert “Understanding and Mitigating Russian State-Sponsored Cyber Threats to U.S. Critical Infrastructure,” which was revised March 1, 2022. Another resource is StopRansomware.gov, a centralized, whole-of-government webpage providing ransomware resources and alerts.

A version of this article appeared on Psychiatric TimesTM sister publication Medical Economics.