Tag Archive for: Attack

Ransomware Attack on Brewery Shows Cybersecurity Risks

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The recent ransomware attack against the Duvel Moortgat Brewery demonstrated the very real risk that cybersecurity incidents pose to the alcohol industry, reportedly halting operations for several days at four of Duvel Moortgat’s facilities in Europe and the United States. This attack comes after other major alcohol producers experienced disruptive ransomware attacks in the last several years. Incidents like these can be devastating for a company’s business and reputation, and hackers’ strategies are constantly evolving to maximize their damage. But companies can be prepared with an information security program designed to prevent successful attacks and quickly respond if one occurs. Experienced partners such as McDermott are critical resources throughout this process, enabling companies to better update and fortify their security programs.

The Growing Threat of Attack

Hackers have extorted companies through ransomware attacks for decades, but hacker strategies have evolved to increase the risks to companies, often resulting in a larger ransom for the hacker. A “ransomware” attack traditionally refers to a strategy in which a hacker gains access to a victim’s computer system, encrypts the information on those systems and demands a ransom payment to unlock that information. Victims may try to avoid paying the ransom by restoring most of their systems from backups, but hackers have recently introduced additional strategies that can complicate that recovery. Today, hackers often try to steal the victim’s information before encrypting it on the victim’s system, so that they can sell or publish the information if the victim refuses to pay the ransom. Hackers also may try to “corrupt” backups so that the victim cannot effectively restore its system without the hacker’s assistance. One ransomware group, AlphV, says that it also reports its publicly traded victims to the US Securities and Exchange Commission if they don’t pay the ransom.

Determining whether to pay a ransom is a complicated decision, with either choice presenting notable risks. The ransom will likely be expensive and must be paid without any guarantee that the hacker will make good on its promises….

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Health Care Notes: Change victim of second ransomware attack | Health Care

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Earlier this week, a second ransomware group came after Nashville-based clearing house Change Healthcare, according to Becker’s Hospital Review. Hackers known as Ransom Hub claim to possess Change data and are asking for payment, or else they would sell the information on the dark web.  

Change confirmed to Becker’s that it was “aware of the reports.”

Belmont opens center for health discipline collaboration 

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Medicaid, SNAP Could Become Key Cyber Attack Targets

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In the future, cyber warfare is increasingly likely to target federal services that help everyday residents meet their basic needs, per a new report.

The report, which is authored by researchers from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, points out that traditionally, cyber defense has focused on sensitive military and intelligence infrastructure. But that may be changing, according to their research, which involved tabletop exercises with cyber and foreign policy experts, as well as a public survey.

Adversary nations and non-state actors — such as cyber criminals, political extremists and “lone wolf” actors — may all seek to use cyber attacks to “destabilize” the federal government. Disrupting essential food and medical assistance services like SNAP and Medicaid could spark chaos and distrust in the federal government’s abilities. This could exacerbate polarization and make residents more open to believing misinformation and disinformation, cyber and foreign policy experts told the researchers.


Such attacks would be extra impactful if timed to strike during sensitive political moments, such as elections or foreign policy crises.

Attackers might also try to cause panic and economic disruption by hitting federal economic supports, like the Small Business Administration’s small and medium-sized business grant programs. They could also try to hack and manipulate federal economic data to create confusion in financial markets.

“Experts saw federal agencies that support economic activity as being most susceptible to cascading effects, with even small intrusions creating fear and panic likely to undermine trust and confidence in the federal government,” the report reads.

Experts also predicted that non-state actors would want to enhance polarization by hacking into public health research. Based on that research, attackers could then spread public health misinformation and disinformation. The resulting confusion would likely cause the public to doubt government health decisions and question the administration itself. Attackers could also try to deliberately deepen existing social divisions on…

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Scientists install encryption shield to protect advanced Chinese quantum computer from attack

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The new methods are to replace the conventional public-key cryptography system, which could be vulnerable in the face of quantum computers with powerful computing capabilities.

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China denies accusations of state-sponsored hacking from US, UK and New Zealand

China denies accusations of state-sponsored hacking from US, UK and New Zealand

The report quoted Dou Menghan, deputy director of the Anhui Quantum Computing Engineering Research Centre, as saying the “anti-quantum attack shield” was developed and used for the first time by Origin Quantum, the developer of the computer named after the Monkey King of Chinese mythology.

“This shows that China’s home-grown superconducting quantum computer can play both offence and defence in the field of quantum computing,” he said.

“This is also an important exploration of the application of new data security technologies in China.”

Origin launched its first superconducting quantum computer in 2020. The next year, the company delivered the 24-qubit Wuyuan second-generation machine – the country’s first practical quantum computer – making China the third country capable of delivering a complete quantum computing system after Canada and the United States.

The third-generation Wukong is powered by a 72-qubit home-grown superconducting quantum chip, also known as the Wukong chip.

In January, the superfast computer opened remote access to the world, attracting global users from countries such as the US, Bulgaria, Singapore, Japan, Russia and Canada to perform quantum computing tasks.

In traditional computing, a bit is the basic unit of information that represents either zero or one. A quantum bit, or qubit, takes it a step further by being able to represent zero, one, or both simultaneously.

Lawmaker urges China to safeguard tech production chain for a quantum edge

Because quantum computers can simultaneously represent multiple possibilities, they hold theoretical potential for significantly faster and more powerful computation compared to the everyday computers we use now.

But the subatomic particles central to this technology are fragile, short-lived and prone to errors if exposed to minor disturbances from the surroundings. Most…

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