The International Criminal Police Organization aka Interpol has issued a warning to healthcare providers operating across the globe that Maze Ransomware spreaders might target more hospital networks in the coming weeks which are fighting against the COVID 19 pandemic.
Currently, the said cyber threat is spreading only through phishing emails which somehow relate themselves to the Corona Virus-but are emails containing a malicious link to download a file-encrypting malware or an attachment containing the link.
Cyber Fusion Center, the cyber arm of Interpol is the government agency that has discovered that healthcare providers across the globe are vulnerable to cyber-attacks. And it concluded after it monitored all the cyber threats related to COVID-19 from the data obtained through companies who have been targeted by the ransomware so far.
NHS which has been discovered by Chatham House as most vulnerable to Wuhan Virus related cyber attacks say that Maze Ransomware spreaders could target hospitals and medical organizations around the world as they will surely try to tap a profit at the expense of suffering patients as locking hospital databases at a crucial stage might earn them easy bucks- with no much resistance.
Interpol says that mitigation efforts will pay well in further stopping attacks from ransomware spreading gangs. The crime agency supported the theory on Maze Ransomware put forward by Chatham house and added that delaying swift response to COVID 19 affected patients might lead to life loss and so the IT staff of hospitals should be vigilant 24×7 in curbing such cases from the nip before they could create any further damage during these unprecedented times.
Note- Maze Ransomware previously known as ChaCha Ransomware is a kind of file-encrypting malware that locks down the files from access until a ransom is paid. Furthermore, if in case the victim fails to pay the ransom, those spreading the ransomware threaten to release and sell the stolen data onto the internet. Meaning, before locking down the database, the threat actors steal a portion of data to sell it online if the victim fails to pay them on time.
