BHI Energy recently issued a statement revealing that its servers fell victim to a ransomware attack orchestrated by a group known as Akira in June of this year. The breach was not detected until July. The attackers gained unauthorized access to the company’s network by exploiting a vulnerability in a VPN connection, resulting in the exposure of sensitive information belonging to approximately 896 residents of Iowa.
The compromised data included a range of personal information such as social security numbers, health records of Iowa citizens, full names, and dates of birth. BHI, a subsidiary of Westinghouse, emphasized that no financial data was compromised during the breach. To address the security breach, the energy service provider swiftly took action by offering a 24-month Experian credit monitoring service to the affected individuals free of charge.
In another cybersecurity incident, Grupo GTD, a telecommunications company, disclosed that it had fallen victim to a cyber attack targeting its Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) platform. This attack severely disrupted its services over an extended period. The company, which provides IT managed services, data center services, and telecommunications solutions, confirmed that the attack was carried out by the Rorschach Ransomware group, which locked down access to critical data and applications necessary for the company’s operations.
Chile’s Computer Security Incident Response Team, in collaboration with other law enforcement agencies, has initiated an investigation into the incident. Forensic experts have been enlisted to assist in the probe. Research conducted by Check Point confirmed the sophistication of the Rorschach Ransomware group, revealing that it can encrypt a database in as little as four minutes.
Moving on to the global cybersecurity landscape, Malwarebytes released a report indicating that the United States is the primary target for file-encrypting malware attacks. Criminals are drawn to targeting U.S. companies due to the nation’s strong economy and the favorable exchange rate of cryptocurrencies against the U.S. dollar. Among the 1,900 reported attacks worldwide, 43% were directed at U.S. companies. Notably, many of these attacks were attributed to notorious groups such as Clop, Revil, Darkside, and Conti. Their primary focus is on stealing valuable data, including emails, documents, photos, and videos.
Lastly, there is news concerning Akumin, a Florida-based radiology service provider. The company, which specializes in providing imaging solutions, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as it grapples with a debt burden of approximately $470 million. While the specific details of this financial crisis remain unclear, Akumin recently acquired a healthcare company and cited the accumulation of debt due to higher interest rates as a contributing factor.
The cybersecurity landscape is fraught with challenges, as evidenced by these recent incidents. While companies often experience disruptions of varying durations, the case of Akumin marks a unique occurrence with the filing for bankruptcy as a result of financial strain.
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