“Everyone was told to turn off all the computers and not to turn them on again,” the person said. “We were told it will be days before the computers are up again.”
Wizard Spider is a Russian cybercrime group that has developed a sophisticated banking malware known as “TrickBot” and ransomware called “Ryuk.”
CrowdStrike, the cybersecurity technology company based in Sunnyvale, California created the name Wizard Spider in association with the threat actor. CrowdStrike Intelligence says that the group has been targeting large organizations since at least 2018.
The hacker group is known to go “big game hunting” to target and breach large organizations. They have been linked to attacks on the tech company, Pitney Bowes, and the U.S. Coast Guard.
Ransomware attack in-progress
It’s not known how much the ransomware attack is impacting patient care. The issues appear to be widespread in the UHS system.
In a statement, Universal Health Services said, “In the meantime, while this matter may result in temporary disruptions to certain aspects of our clinical and financial operations, our acute care and behavioral health facilities are utilizing their established back-up processes including offline documentation methods. Patient care continues to be delivered safely and effectively.”
