HHS is warning the healthcare sector about a ransomware group that has been stepping up its attacks on the industry and recently disrupted hospital operations in the U.K.

Healthcare professionals, lawyers and cybersecurity experts are raising concerns about an often-overlooked bureaucratic process that can impede hospitals and medical providers in their efforts to recover from ransomware attacks, Wired reported June 24. 

In the coming weeks, the Biden administration is set to unveil regulations aimed at enhancing cybersecurity across the healthcare sector, GovInfoSecurity reported June 20. 

A cybersecurity executive, who breached the computer system of Lawrenceville, Ga.-based Gwinnett Medical Center in 2018 in an effort to improve his company's financials, has been sentenced to two years of home detention after paying more than $800,000 in restitution, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported June 21.

Change Healthcare has started informing healthcare organizations, insurers and other entities whose data was breached in a February ransomware attack, the company said June 20.

Adventist Health Hanford (Calif.) reached a settlement with the state of California to pay $10,000 in civil penalties to resolve violations related to unauthorized protected health information disclosure. 

Greenwood (Miss.) Leflore Hospital and Rolling Fork, Miss.-based Sharkey Issaquena Hospital have entered into a cybersecurity partnership with Microsoft, the Greenwood Commonwealth reported June 20. 

Russia-based cyberattackers Qilin have taken responsibility for a ransomware attack against pathology services provider Synnovis and is requesting millions of dollars for the decryption key, according to Bloomberg.

HHS is warning the healthcare sector of a cybersecurity vulnerability that could affect a "massive" number of servers.

Cyberattacks against hospitals and health systems are becoming more frequent and disruptive. As a result, CIOs are working with their teams to heighten cyber hygiene across the organization.

In response to the February ransomware attack on Change Healthcare, CMS is introducing special measures to assist affected organizations in navigating the federal independent dispute resolution process under the No Surprises Act.

Hospitals and health systems across the country have been returning to paper medical records during IT outages caused by the unceasing number of cyberattacks plaguing the industry.

Hackers were able to launch a ransomware attack on St. Louis-based Ascension, disrupting its IT systems and operations for 140 hospitals, because an employee did something thousands of people do every single day.

Poway, Calif.-based Palomar Health Medical Group said it is getting ready to bring its systems back online after "suspicious activity" forced them offline in May, NBC affiliate KNSD reported June 12. 

Following Change Healthcare's admission that it paid off hackers after its ransomware attack, there has been a spike in healthcare-related cyber incidents, Wired reported June 12.

St. Louis-based Ascension said hackers stole files that likely contained patient data during the recent cyberattack on the health system.

St. Louis-based Ascension has restored EHR access in 11 states in the wake of a recent cyberattack. 

Two senators accused UnitedHealthcare of violating HIPAA because the company has not sent out breach notifications for the February cyberattack on Change Healthcare, one of its subsidiaries. 

Federal authorities are investigating a 2023 data breach at a medical transcription company that may have compromised the personal information of up to 1.2 million patients at Chicago-based Cook County Health, NPR affiliate WBEZ reported June 10. 

In response to the rise in cyberattacks targeting U.S. healthcare systems, Google has engaged in a partnership with the White House to help rural hospitals.