Interpol, the international police organisation has issued an alert following a rise in ransomware attacks on hospitals and other healthcare institutions amidst the pandemic. Most alarmingly, in late-March, a medical facility on standby to help test any coronavirus vaccine has been hit by a ransomware group. Similarly, hackers have been posing as government entities in India, Japan, Singapore and even the World Health Organisation (WHO) to send bogus health advisories on coronavirus through email, infecting people with malware. Malaysia reported spike in cybersecurity cases by a whopping 82.5 percent during the COVID-19 Movement Control Order so far. In a recent conversation with BioSpectrum Asia, Sherif El-Nabawi, Vice President (Engineering, APJ), CrowdStrike, Singapore gave insight on healthcare cyber-attacks and keys to mitigate the risk. Edited excerpts;
How do cyber-attackers exploit healthcare resources during the COVID-19 pandemic and what are the consequences of cyber-attacks on Asia-Pacific healthcare sector?
The world has witnessed the COVID-19 pandemic place unprecedented strain on many countries’ healthcare systems. It has been the catalyst for a paradigm shiftin the way organisations operate, with many having to move quickly to stand-up a remote workforce or enable remote doctor consultations due to social distancing guidelines. This has created a perfect storm for adversaries to launch targeted attacks against an overstretched healthcare industry.
Threat activity has ranged from financially motivated threat actors targeting hospitals to deny them access to critical systems and disrupting their ability to provide patient care, to the compromise of sensitive patient information.
Denne historien er fra May 2020-utgaven av BioSpectrum Asia.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra May 2020-utgaven av BioSpectrum Asia.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Promega unveils GloMax Galaxy Bioluminescence Imager for illuminating protein dynamics in real time
US-based Promega Corporation, a life-sciences research partner dedicated to providing intuitive tools that empower scientists to innovate, has unveiled the new GloMax Galaxy Bioluminescence Imager.
Singleron and Bioscreen to enhance access to single cell multi-omics solutions for Indian researchers
Singleron Biotechnologies, a leading innovator in single cell multi-omics solutions, has announced a strategic partnership with Bioscreen, a renowned distributor of advanced life science products in India.
Eppendorf brings CO2 incubator shaker with integrated 180 °C sterilisation routine
Eppendorf has announced the launch of a CO2 incubator shaker with integrated 180 °C sterilisation routine.
Waters introduces new bioseparations tools to improve development of RNA-based vaccines using LC-MS analysis
US-based Waters Corporation has introduced a comprehensive set of sample preparation enzymes, reagents, and waters_connect software that simplify sequence and modification confirmation of large molecule RNA therapeutics using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LCMS) analysis.
Singapore designs novel gene therapy offering hope for epilepsy patients
Researchers from the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore are working on a therapy that holds potential in treating patients with epilepsy, a neurological disorder defined by recurring seizures due to abnormal brain activity.
Spider venom heart drug moves to clinical trials in Australia
A University of Queensland (UQ)-led project in Australia to develop the first-ever drug to treat heart attack and protect donor hearts will move to human clinical trials, after receiving $17.8 million in funding from the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF).
India develops portable ultrasound scanner for sports injury diagnosis
A team of researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) has developed an indigenous portable Point-of-CareUltrasound (POCUS) Scanner for sports injury diagnosis and management.
Integris appoints medtech veteran Probir Das as new CEO
Integris Healthcare, a global diversified medical technology company, has announced the appointment of Probir Das as Chief Executive Officer (CEO). He will join effective November 2024 and will be based in New Delhi.
Clarity Pharma promotes Michelle Parker to CEO
Australia-based Clarity Pharmaceuticals has announced the appointment of Michelle Parker as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective from October 11, 2024.
Dr Makoto Sugita steps in as President of Nxera Pharma Japan
Nxera Pharma Co., formerly known as Sosei Group or Sosei Heptares, has announced the appointment of Dr Makoto Sugita, as President of Nxera Pharma Japan, and Executive Officer, Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Nxera Pharma.