The Department of Health and Human Services' Health Sector Cybersecurity Coordination Center issued a brief Feb. 13 advising healthcare organizations on how to protect their internet-connected devices and networks from Distributed Denial of Service attacks.
Eight things to know about DDoS attacks:
- Hackers are more inclined to use DDoS attacks as it is cost effective, and requires relatively low resources and technical skills.
- HHS warned that these attacks are getting more sophisticated and complex while getting easier and cheaper to perpetrate.
- Hackers can use DDoS attacks at any stage of an attack.
- DDoS attacks increased by 67 percent year-on-year and 24 percent quarter-on-quarter, according to the HHS.
- Hackers will use web application attacks, such as DDoS attacks, to target an organization's most exposed infrastructure.
- To defend against these attacks, healthcare organizations should implement user data protocol, SYN, and transmission control protocol.
- Healthcare organizations should also work to identify services and devices that may be exposed to the public internet, vulnerabilities and how a user base connects to networks.
- 'Killnet,' a Russian-based hacking group recently deployed a DDoS attack on hospital and health system websites across the U.S.