Ransomware removal reporters were able to gain insights from Fairbanks North Star Borough on the recent ransomware attack on one of their partner companies, Golden Heart Administrative Professionals (GHAP). The ransomware attack was not only successful in its infection but also managed to threaten the integrity of sensitive patients’ data as health information of more than 40,000 individuals has been estimated to be compromised.
Fairbanks stated that its partner GHAP was an unfortunate victim of a ransomware campaign that managed to employ cryptographic algorithms and encrypt sensitive information stored in Golden Heart’s servers.
Input from Firms
Moreover, ransomware removal reporters were also provided with the fact that forensics and cybersecurity firms have been analyzing and working on the cyber-invasion’s after-effects including ransomware removal and recovery processes.
The firms concluded that cybercriminals got access to the entire data stored in Golden Heart’s IT assets. It was also observed that other malicious third-parties lurking in the cybersecurity space can also pose as a cyber risk and enter into the GHAP’s systems. The information compromised consists of various personal and sensitive details including names, birth information, residential addresses, SSN, financial details, medical diagnosis, and treatment.
Late Reporting
Fairbanks disclosed the date of ransomware attack to ransomware removal reporters as 14 April 2018 and also reported that the attack was found out on the same day when the systems were breached. However, Golden Heart was reluctant to report it to the relevant law enforcement authorities and it took a month for them to finally report it on 25 May 2018. Furthermore, the complete details of the attack were only passed to the authorities by 20 June 2018.
GHAP also revealed the attack details to credit reporting companies including Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax. For further information related to the attack, a helpline has been offered by Fairbanks that is functional on weekdays from 5:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
