The U.S. government has launched a website to provide resources to protect hospitals and other businesses from ransomware attacks.
The Department of Homeland Security, the Justice Department and other federal agencies partnered to launch StopRansomware.gov, according to a July 14 news release.
Four things to know:
- The website offers hospitals ransomware resources, such as a checklist for responding to an attack, tips on how to protect your hospital from an attack, clear guidance on how to report an incident and more.
- The website is the first to consolidate resources from federal agencies. Before this website, hospital leaders may have had to fish for resources from the FBI, DHS or Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
- "Cybercriminals have targeted critical infrastructure, small businesses, hospitals, police departments, schools, and more," said DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. "These attacks directly impact Americans' daily lives and the security of our Nation. I urge every organization across our country to use this new resource to learn how to protect themselves from ransomware and reduce their cybersecurity risk."
- Roughly $350 million in ransom was paid to hackers in 2020, a 300 percent increase from 2019. Attacks on small businesses make up 75 percent of all ransomware cases yet relatively go unnoticed, the release said. These resources will help these organizations and large companies take the necessary steps to protect their networks.