Cybersecurity Attack at the University of Kentucky, UK HealthCare and Arkansas Children’s Hospital

The University of Kentucky (UK) is fighting to get rid of downloaded malware on its network last February 2020. Cybercriminals were able to access the UK network and downloaded cryptocurrency mining malware which employed the processing functionality of UK computers for mining Bitcoin and various cryptocurrencies.

The malware brought about a substantial network slowdown with momentary computer system failures causing repetitive every day interruptions to daily functions, particularly in UK healthcare.

UK is convinced that the attack was settled after a month of work. On Sunday morning, UK conducted a major IT systems reboot, which lasted about 3 hours. The UK feels the cybercriminals were removed from its systems, however, they will be tracking the network carefully to make sure the blocking of external access. The attacker is thought to be from outside the U.S.A.

UK Healthcare caters to over 2 million patients and operates the Good Samaritan Hospital in Lexington, KY and the UK Albert B. Chandler Hospital. Although computer systems were seriously affected at times, there is no impact on patient care and patient safety.

An investigation of the breach with the assistance of third-party computer forensics experts was started. According to University spokesman Jay Blanton, it is difficult to know if any sensitive information was viewed or copied. It is believed that the malware attack was exclusively done to hijack the UK network’s “vast processing capabilities” and use it for mining cryptocurrency.

UK took steps to strengthen its cybersecurity, which includes installing the CrowdStrike security software program. Over $1.5 million was spent getting rid of hackers from the network and improving security.

Systems Reboot at Arkansas Children’s Hospital to Manage ‘Cybersecuirty Threat’

Arkansas Children’s Hospital located in Little Rock has encountered a cyberattack, which impacted Arkansas Children’s Northwest and Arkansas Children’s Hospital. The hospital rebooted its IT systems to deal with the cybersecurity threat and engaged an independent digital forensics company to help with the investigation.

There is no disclosure yet regarding the exact nature of the threat. It is also unclear as of this time when the attack will be fixed. All Arkansas Children’s Hospital facilities continue to provide patient care but rescheduled some non-urgent consultations.

There is a continuing investigation of the attack. At this point, there is no evidence found that indicates the breach of patient information.