JAKARTA - Russian hackers who are members of a group called KillNet have targeted hospitals in the United States (US) with DDoS attacks, as well as in countries supporting Ukraine.
The US Department of Health and Humanitarian Services (HHS) has issued a warning about a series of DDoS attacks targeting hospitals in the US by perpetrators who are members of a hacktivist group known as KillNet. KillNet is known for its DDoS attacks and threats. The group has been active since at least January 2022 and is suspected of being a pro-Russian group.
On January 30, 2023, HHS released an analyst's note on the series of attacks, stating that KillNet was "known to carry out DDoS attacks and operated several public channels aimed at recruiting and attracting attention from these attacks."
The HHS analyst note also states that KillNet is known to target countries supporting Ukraine, especially NATO countries since the start of the Russian-Ukraine war in early 2022.
The list of US hospitals targeted include:
KillNet Also Attacks Other Countries
In addition to various hospitals in the US targeted, KillNet also attacked hospitals in other pro-Ukraine countries, including Denmark, Germany, England, Poland, and the Netherlands.
In Denmark, nine hospital websites were temporarily closed due to the attack, but soon nine hospitals were targeted for full operation.
KillNet Is No Foreigner To Cyber Crime
Reported by MakeUseOf, this is not the first time KillNet has targeted an organization with a DDoS attack. In the past, KillNet has targeted various US companies, including LA and Atlanta airports and Bank JPMorgan Chase.
According to previously mentioned HHS analyst records, in May 2022, "a 23-year-old member of KillNet was arrested in connection with an attack on the Romanian government's website." In return, KillNet was "reportedly demanding his release and threatened to attack a life-saving ventilator at a British hospital if their demands were not met."
Various hacking groups threaten large organizations, with an escalation of such attacks from operators suspected of originating from Russia due to the Russian-Ukraine war.
KillNet May Continue To Target Hospitals
KillNet is known to be targeting health care organizations and hospitals, so there is a possibility that this attack style will continue to circulate in the healthcare industry in the coming months or years. Time will tell whether this malicious hacker group continues to target health care companies.
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