On October 28, 2020, the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a Joint Cybersecurity Advisory warning of “an increased and imminent cybercrime threat to U.S. hospitals and healthcare providers.” The agencies collectively warned that “malicious cyber actors are targeting the Healthcare and Public Health (HPH) Sector with Trickbot malware, often leading to ransomware attacks, data theft, and the disruption of healthcare services.”
Category: Cybersecurity
Faegre Drinker on Law and Technology Podcast: The Internet of Things
In the latest episode of the Faegre Drinker on Law and Technology Podcast, Faegre Drinker Counsel Jason G. Weiss and Partner Laura Phillips discuss the growth and evolution of the Internet of Things (IoT). In particular, they dive into the countless devices and use cases that make up the IoT universe, the regulatory issues that accompany commercial applications of IoT technology in the U.S., and the challenges of navigating the patchwork, ad hoc policies and regulations that currently govern this emerging space.
Continue reading “Faegre Drinker on Law and Technology Podcast: The Internet of Things”
Community Health Systems Enters Into Five-Million-Dollar, Multi-State Settlement Agreement in Connection with 2014 Data Breach
On October 8, 2020, Community Health Systems, Inc. (Community Health) and its subsidiary CHSPSC, LLC entered into a settlement agreement with 28 states for $5 million to resolve claims related to a 2014 data breach. Community Health owns over 200 hospitals across the United States and is one of the largest hospital networks in the country. The multi-state settlement follows a separate $2.3 million settlement that Community Health reached with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (HHS-OCR) in connection with the same data breach.
Ransomware Payments May Violate Sanctions Laws, U.S. Treasury Department Warns
Ransomware attacks are on the rise in the wake of COVID-19, but attack victims — and third parties who assist them — could unknowingly be in violation of federal law. A new advisory from the U.S. Department of the Treasury warns that ransom payments to sanctioned individuals or entities may result in significant criminal or civil liability. Companies should closely review the details of this advisory to minimize the risk of violating the U.S. sanctions laws if they are victimized by a ransomware attack.
For the full alert, visit the Faegre Drinker website.
DoD’s Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification Is Here: What Your Business Needs to Do to Prepare
On September 1, 2020, Department of Defense (DoD) contractors will be required to comply with the recently released Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) requirements. The CMMC requirements are designed to ensure that suppliers, contractors and subcontractors working with the DoD’s Office of Acquisition and Sustainment have cybersecurity frameworks in place “to assess and enhance the cybersecurity posture of the Defense Industrial Base (DIB).” Through the creation of the CMMC, DoD appears to be enhancing the requirements of NIST 800-171, ISO 27001 and other cybersecurity-related frameworks.
The CMMC model delineates five “maturity” levels, with level 1 being the least secure and level 5 being the most secure. Once the CMMC takes effect, DoD will assign all solicitations an appropriate maturity level that bidders must be able to meet if they wish to bid on the solicitation.
New York Department of Financial Services Issues New Guidance Regarding COVID-19 Cybersecurity Risks
On April 13, 2020, the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) issued new guidance to all New York State Regulated Entities to highlight “a significant increase in cybercrime” related to the COVID-19 epidemic. NYDFS’s guidance identified “several areas of heightened cybersecurity risk as a result of the crisis.” These risks include:
- Remote Working – The mass shift to remote working forced by COVID-19 has created new security threats which are being exploited by hackers. Regulated entities should take proactive steps to address these new security threats. Among other things, regulated entities should take steps to make their remote access as secure as possible by using multi-factor authentication and VPNs. Companies also should ensure that devices used to access networks are properly secured and/or controlled. Regulated entities also must take steps to ensure the security of remote working communications, like video conferencing applications. Finally, companies should ensure that employees are not accessing or sending sensitive or non-public information through personal email accounts or devices.