A subsidiary of <a href="https://www.forbes.com/advisor/health-insurance/largest-health-insurance-companies/">one of the largest</a> health insurance agencies in the U.S. was hit by a cyberattack earlier this week from what it believes is a foreign “nation-state” actor, crippling many pharmacies’ ability to process prescriptions across the country.
UnitedHealth Group, a Minnesota-based company, said its subsidiary Change Healthcare’s system was compromised when a “suspected nation-state associated cyber security threat actor” gained access on Wednesday, Bloomberg <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/unitedhealth-blamed-nation-state-threat-214720756.html">reported</a>. Change Healthcare was the only network affected by the cyberattack, according to UnitedHealth.
“UnitedHealth Group identified a suspected nation-state associated cyber security threat actor had gained access to some of the Change Healthcare information technology systems,” the company <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/22/tech/us-pharmacies-face-delays-filling-prescriptions-because-of-cyberattack/index.html">said</a>. “Immediately upon detection of this outside threat, the company proactively isolated the impacted systems from other connecting systems in the interest of protecting our partners and patients, to contain, assess and remediate the incident.”
The multi-billion-dollar health insurance company is unsure when the service for its subsidiary will be restored and is working with law enforcement and security experts on the issue.
“Change Healthcare is experiencing a cybersecurity issue, and our experts are working to address the matter,” UnitedHealth said in a statement. “Once we became aware of the outside threat, in the interest of protecting our partners and patients, we took immediate action to disconnect our systems to prevent further impact.”
Following the cyberattack, some pharmacies could not process prescriptions for insurance companies to receive payment, CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/22/tech/us-pharmacies-face-delays-filling-prescriptions-because-of-cyberattack/index.html">reported</a>. Hospitals such as the Naval Hospital in Camp Pendleton, California, and Evans Army Community Hospital in Colorado released statements saying they were either unable to process prescription claims or were experiencing delays.
“Due to an ongoing enterprise-wide issue, all Camp Pendleton and associated pharmacies are unable to process any prescription claims. We are only able to assist patients with emergency and urgent prescriptions from hospital providers at this time. Please visit our website for info,” the Naval Hospital, Camp Pendleton, <a href="https://twitter.com/NavHospCampPen/status/1760733389186085116">said</a>.
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On Thursday, the American Hospital Association <a href="https://www.aha.org/advisory/2024-02-22-unitedhealth-groups-change-healthcare-experiencing-cyberattack-could-impact-health-care-providers-and">warned</a> its roughly 5,000 member hospitals and other health care providers of the cyberattack against Change Healthcare and said it believes “all other systems across UnitedHealth Group are operational.”

Cyberattack

U.S. Health Insurance Company Hit With Cyberattack From ‘Suspected Nation-State’ Actor, Crippling Pharmacies’ Ability To Process Prescriptions

U.S. Health Insurance Company Hit With Cyberattack From 'Suspected Nation-State' Actor, Crippling Pharmacies' Ability To Process Prescriptions

Crime

Cybersecurity

Health Care

U.S.

FBI Director <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/christopher-wray" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Christopher Wray</a> warned this week that communist China is preparing to &#8220;wreak havoc&#8221; across the U.S. with massive cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure.
Wray made the remarks during a Wednesday hearing in front of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, titled: &#8220;The Chinese Community Party Cyber Threat to the American Homeland and National Security.&#8221;
&#8220;There has been far too little public focus on the fact that PRC [People&#8217;s Republic of China] hackers are targeting our critical infrastructure—our water treatment plants, our electrical grid, our oil and natural gas pipelines, our transportation systems—and the risk that poses to every American requires our attention now,&#8221; Wray said. &#8220;China’s hackers are positioning on American infrastructure in preparation to wreak havoc and cause real-world harm to American citizens and communities, if and when China decides the time has come to strike.&#8221;
Wray said that China &#8220;has a bigger hacking program than every other major nation combined,&#8221; adding: &#8220;In fact, if each one of the FBI’s cyber agents and intelligence analysts focused exclusively on the China threat, China’s hackers would still outnumber FBI cyber personnel by at least 50 to 1.&#8221;
Wray specifically called out the Chinese Communist Party, saying their &#8220;multi-pronged assault on our national and economic security&#8221; included &#8220;low blows against civilians.&#8221;
&#8220;The PRC’s cyber onslaught goes way beyond pre-positioning for future conflict. Today, and literally every day, they’re actively attacking our economic security—engaging in wholesale theft of our innovation and our personal and corporate data,&#8221; he said. &#8220;The PRC cyber threat is made vastly more dangerous by the way they knit cyber into a whole-of-government campaign against us. They recruit human sources to target our businesses, using insiders to steal the same kinds of innovation and data their hackers are targeting while also engaging in corporate deception—hiding Beijing’s hand in transactions, joint ventures, and investments—to do the same.&#8221;
Wray said that China was targeting the freedoms of U.S. citizens inside the U.S. by engaging in campaigns to &#8220;silence, coerce, and threaten our citizens and residents.&#8221;
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Wray said that the FBI has deployed experts in the realms of cyber, counterintelligence, criminal, and weapons of mass destruction to combat China&#8217;s attacks against the U.S.
&#8220;The budgets that emerge from the discussions underway now will dictate what resources we’ll have ready in 2027—a year that, as this committee knows all too well, the CCP has circled on its calendar,&#8221; he added. &#8220;And that year will be on us before you know it. As I’ve described, the PRC is already, today, putting their pieces in place.&#8221;

FBI Director Chris Wray Testifies Before House Judiciary Committee

FBI Director Chris Wray Reveals The Massive Size China’s Hacking Program

FBI Director Chris Wray Reveals The Massive Size China's Hacking Program

Christopher Wray

Communist China

Global Politics

World

Genetic testing firm 23andMe confirmed Monday that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/cyberattack" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hackers</a> were able to access the data of 6.9 million users, about half the company&#8217;s customer base.
The California-based company said hackers accessed 5.5 million profiles that were using a feature called DNA Relatives, which allows people to find genetic relatives. Hackers were also able to access family tree information from another 1.4 million DNA Relatives profiles.
In some cases, the hackers gained access to users&#8217; ancestry reports, zip codes, and birth years, 23andMe said.
“23andMe has completed its investigation, assisted by third-party forensics experts. We are in the process of notifying affected customers, as required by law,” the company <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/addressing-data-security-concerns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement posted Saturday evening to 23andMe&#8217;s website.
“We have taken steps to further protect customer data, including requiring all existing customers to reset their password and requiring two-step verification for all new and existing customers,” the company said.
Last week, 23andMe said hackers had accessed data from about 14,000 users or 0.1% of its customers.
In order to pull off the data breach, the hackers reused old usernames and passwords from other websites that had already been compromised, a tactic known as credential stuffing.
&#8220;We have taken steps to further protect customer data, including requiring all existing customers to reset their password and requiring two-step verification for all new and existing customers,&#8221; a company spokesperson <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/fox-news-tech/23andme-confirms-hackers-accessed-data-6-9-million-users" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Fox Business.
The company also <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/04/us/23andme-hack-data.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on Monday that it has not learned of “any reports of inappropriate use of the data after the leak.”
In October, profile information from 23andMe customers reportedly started showing up on a dark web forum used by hackers.
The company is currently <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/04/us/23andme-hack-data.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">working</a> on notifying all customers who were affected by the breach, as required by law, although the timeline for when everyone will have been notified is not clear.
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Critics have warned against providing such personal information to companies, saying it can always be stolen.
“Should we be providing data that is so personal and so intimate to an organization that, largely speaking, only has a strong allegiance to their investors and their boards?” Ramesh Srinivasan, a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles department of information studies, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/04/us/23andme-hack-data.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">remarked</a> to The New York Times.
23andMe is not the first firm to have a major data breach.
Last month, Okta, an identity management firm, admitted that a data breach was worse than expected. Hackers likely stole data from all recent users of Okta&#8217;s Help Center service, the company <a href="https://www.cpomagazine.com/cyber-security/okta-customer-support-security-breach-update-all-clients-using-help-center-impacted-contact-info-for-all-certified-users-stolen/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.

In this photo illustration, the 23andMe logo is displayed on

23andMe Says Hackers Accessed Data Of Nearly 7 Million Users

23andMe Says Hackers Stole Data Of Nearly 7 Million Users

Business

California

Genes

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/communist-china" target="_blank" rel="noopener">China</a> and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/russia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Russia</a> are prepared to launch destructive cyber attacks on U.S. critical infrastructure to &#8220;sow chaos and hinder military mobilization&#8221; in the event of war breaking out, according to a new Pentagon cyber strategy released on Tuesday.
&#8220;The United States is challenged by malicious cyber actors who seek to exploit our technological vulnerabilities and undermine our military&#8217;s competitive edge,&#8221; the <a href="https://media.defense.gov/2023/Sep/12/2003299076/-1/-1/1/2023_DOD_Cyber_Strategy_Summary.PDF" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2023 Department of Defense Cyber Strategy</a> introduction reads. &#8220;They target our critical infrastructure and endanger the American people. Defending against and defeating these cyber threats is a Department of Defense imperative.&#8221;
While China poses a more serious and long-term threat, Pentagon officials are more immediately concerned with Russia.
Eastern Europe saw such attacks amid the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, where Russian military and intelligence units used a range of cyber attacks to disrupt Ukrainian military logistics, sabotage civilian infrastructure, and erode political will, the report reads.
POLITICO <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/01/11/russias-cyberattacks-aim-to-terrorize-ukrainians-00077561" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> earlier this year that Russia launched 300 attacks against Ukraine&#8217;s security and defense sector, another 400 on various organizations ranging from commercial and financial to telecommunications and software, and 500 other attacks against government groups.
Although the efforts from Russian forces yielded limited results, the Pentagon report reads, it could make the U.S. and allied partners vulnerable to similar cyber attacks if Russia faces &#8220;a moment of crisis.&#8221;
DefenseNews <a href="https://www.defensenews.com/cyber/2023/09/12/china-russia-will-use-cyber-to-sow-chaos-if-war-starts-pentagon-says/?utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=tw_at" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that both countries have an arsenal of serious cyber threats toward national security. But a 2021 International Institute for Strategic Studies report placed China and Russia behind the U.S. in its cyber powerhouse rankings.
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Cyber Policy Mieke Eoyang <a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/3523824/pentagon-press-secretary-brigadier-general-pat-ryder-and-deputy-assistant-secre/#:~:text=First%2C%20it%20identifies%20the%20People's,that%20Russia%20poses%20in%20cyberspace." target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> reporters that authorities identify China as the department&#8217;s &#8220;pacing challenge in the cyber domain and recognizes the significant threat that Russia poses in cyberspace,&#8221; but continues to monitor recent activities in Ukraine.
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&#8220;I think prior to this conflict, there was a sense that cyber would have a much more decisive impact in warfare than what we experienced,&#8221; she said. &#8220;What this conflict has shown us is the importance of integrated cyber capabilities in and alongside other warfighting capabilities. And that is consistent with the approach in the [National Defense Strategy] on integrated deterrence and is an important lesson for us to think about &#8212; that cyber is a capability that is best used in concert with those others and may be of limited utility when used all by itself.&#8221;
The Chinese Communist Party sees superiority in cyberspace as core to its theories of victory, the report reads, adding that it has engaged in espionage and theft that compromised key defense networks and broader U.S. critical infrastructure.
In July, the Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinese-hackers-spied-on-state-department-13a09f03" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and senior officials at the State Department were victims of a Chinese hacking campaign that gained access to email accounts from roughly two dozen organizations that began on May 15 and went undetected until June 16.
During a conference in National Harbor in Maryland on September 11, retired Air Force brigadier general and former federal chief information security officer Gregory Touhill reportedly said that cyber and critical infrastructure issues everywhere — domestic and abroad — remain at the front and center of the minds of key senior leaders.
&#8220;We continue to see critical infrastructure as a target for cyber-enabled attacks, including things like denial-of-service, malicious software, ransomware, theft of intellectual property,&#8221; Touhill said. &#8220;We&#8217;re very concerned about that.&#8221;

Department of Defense and Pentagon

Pentagon Says China, Russia Prepared To Launch Cyber Attacks Against U.S. To Sow Chaos If War Erupts

Department of Defense

Pentagon

Russia

Ukraine-Russia War

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nebraska" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nebraska</a> Republican Rep. Don Bacon said on Tuesday that the FBI informed him that operatives from the Chinese Communist Party hacked his emails. 
Bacon’s announcement comes after it was previously reported that suspected Chinese hackers gained access to communications from officials at the State Department and the Commerce Department. 
“I thank the FBI for notifying me that the CCP hacked into my personal and campaign emails from May 15th to June 16th of this year. The CCP hackers utilized a vulnerability in the Microsoft software, and this was not due to ‘user error,&#8217;” Bacon <a href="https://twitter.com/RepDonBacon/status/1691187487350177793" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said on X</a>. 
“Thus, there were other victims in this cyber operation. The Communist government in China are not our friends and are very active in conducting cyber espionage. I’ll work overtime to ensure Taiwan gets every $ of the $19B in weapons backlog they’ve ordered, and more,” he added. 
Bacon, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, has <a href="https://news.usni.org/2022/12/14/u-s-needs-to-clear-19b-in-arms-sale-backlog-to-taiwan-says-hasc-member" target="_blank" rel="noopener">consistently pushed</a> for more U.S. military equipment to be sold to Taiwan. He said the supplies are necessary for Taiwan to “deter” any action from China. 
News of the hacking of the federal agencies, which officials first discovered in June, was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-republicans-open-probe-into-suspected-chinese-cyber-espionage-targeting-federal-agencies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first made public</a> in July. 
“Microsoft notified the department of a compromise to Microsoft’s Office 365 system, and the department took immediate action to respond,” a spokesman for the Commerce Department said last month. “We are monitoring our systems and will respond promptly should any further activity be detected.”
The communications of U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burn and Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia Daniel Kritenbrink <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/07/21/china-hackers-breach-emails-of-us-diplomats-nicholas-burns-kritenbrink.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">were</a> also breached due to the hacking. 
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In March, the White House put out a <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/National-Cybersecurity-Strategy-2023.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">framework</a> discussing the need for better cybersecurity, warning that China, North Korea, Russia, and Iran were all working to increase their cyber capabilities.
According to the framework, China represents “the broadest, most active, and most persistent threat to both government and private sector networks and is the only country with both the intent to reshape the international order and, increasingly, the economic, diplomatic, military, and technological power to do so.”

House Republicans Hold Their Caucus Meeting On Capitol Hill

GOP Congressman Says His Emails Were Hacked By Chinese Communist Party Operatives

China

Congress

Hackers

Nebraska

Politics

Taiwan

President Joe Biden’s spin doctors continually try to put a good face on America’s ongoing <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-ticking-time-bomb-china-infects-american-infrastructure-with-malware-to-disrupt-u-s-military" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cyber crisis</a>, like when they had first lady, Dr. Jill Biden, kick-off the White House’s <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/08/03/white-house-school-cybersecurity-summit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">back-to-school cyber safety summit</a> and tout a new “formal, ongoing collaboration” between all levels of government and school districts. But the truth is, cybersecurity is just another major issue where America is lagging under the stewardship of Biden.
As of the end of 2022, way past the point where Biden could blame this crisis on former President Donald Trump, there was a <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2022/12/06/fixing-the-cybersecurity-staff-shortage/?sh=1eea76c55b4a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">labor shortage</a> of cyber personnel to the tune of approximately 700,000 unfilled positions throughout the job market. 
America’s understaffing in the cyber profession poses significant dangers in both the public and private sectors. In today&#8217;s interconnected climate, cyber threats and the demand for skilled cybersecurity professionals has never been higher. A shortage of proficient cybersecurity personnel poses dire consequences for national security and privacy protection.
In the public sector, under the unthinkably incompetent leadership of Alejandro Mayorkas at the top of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), federal and state level government agencies and critical infrastructure assets face countless cyber threats from <a href="https://www.cyclonis.com/state-sponsored-hacking-attacks-advanced-persistent-threats-target-2022/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">state-sponsored threat actors</a> and cybercriminals.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), a sub-agency under DHS, has put out far more than enough taxpayer dollars over the past 2-plus years to have made major strides in the cybersphere, but positive results have eluded them two-thirds of the way through Joe Biden’s current term. 
Just weeks ago, there was a <a href="https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/2023-07/aa23-187a-increased-truebot-activity-infects-us-and-canada-based-networks.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">joint cybersecurity advisory</a> from CISA, the FBI, the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC), and the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (CCCS), regarding a spike in <a href="https://www.enigmasoftware.com/truebotmalware-removal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Truebot malware</a>, a botnet that is often utilized by <a href="https://www.cyclonis.com/cisa-us-government-hit-russian-cyberattacks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Russia-backed cyber gangs like CLOP</a>.
Chinese threat actors were also just reported to be behind <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2023/07/20/politics/chinese-hackers-us-ambassador/index.html?utm_term=16898853324058b08694b5a02&amp;utm_source=cnn_Breaking+News&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;bt_ee=GdpZFzDHMEWp%2FSO0uXhyC6eVVOYxoYtvugx7hipXjPOpxvaij481g%2Fgvv3SgzDme&amp;bt_ts=1689885332408" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an attack</a> that led to the breach of an email account linked to the U.S. Ambassador to China, Nicholas Burns, as part of a larger targeted intelligence-gathering initiative.
Without adequate cyber personnel, government entities will always struggle in responding to hacks effectively. This will lead to more data breaches, disruptions of essential services, and other dangers to national security. Additionally, losing or compromising any sensitive government data may disrupt diplomatic relations or ongoing intelligence operations.
In the private sector, businesses across various industries continue to be targeted by threat actors seeking to steal valuable intellectual property, consumer information, and financial data. These kinds of breaches are regularly executed by countries like <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/chinese-cybercriminal-hacker-group-stole-20-million-in-covid-relief-funds-secret-service-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">China</a>, Iran, North Korea, and Russia. 
Maintaining an understaffed private sector will slow incident response times, leaving entities exposed to prolonged hacks. The results of which will likely be larger financial losses, reputational damage, and legal liabilities.
Moreover, interconnectedness between the private and public sectors makes them interdependent. So cyber-attacks that target private companies increasingly have ripple effects on critical infrastructure and public services, including energy, transportation, and healthcare.
This only emphasizes the importance of having a deep cybersecurity workforce in both the public and private sectors, as it can more effectively collaborate to defend against threats effectively.
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To address these challenges, America needs to invest in robust cybersecurity education, training, and recruitment efforts. <a href="https://www.miragenews.com/white-house-applauds-fius-cybersecurity-1057311/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">One program</a> that hopes to achieve this is Florida International University&#8217;s (FIU) cybersecurity workforce training program. This program provides free cyber training to veterans and first responders.
We must also encourage younger students to pursue careers in cyber fields and launch a consistent plan for doing so year-round, and not just trotting out Jill Biden types one week out of the year for awareness. This, in addition to offering better salaries and benefits packages, should attract the talent needed to fill critical cybersecurity roles.
This extended years’ long understaffing epidemic in the cybersecurity sector continues to pose significant risks for the United States, leaving it vulnerable to hacks on multiple fronts. At this point, a substantially larger commitment must be made towards building the well-equipped cybersecurity workforce of the future.
If we do so, it strengthens our cyber defenses, protects sensitive data, safeguards national interests, and establishes a resilient and secure cybersphere. Whether or not the 46th President and his cabinet are up to the task remains to be seen.
Julio Rivera is a business and political strategist, cybersecurity researcher, Editorial Director for <a href="https://www.reactionarytimes.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reactionary Times</a>, and a political commentator and columnist. His writing, which is focused on cybersecurity and politics, has been published by many of the most respected news organizations in the world.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Digital security concept

Cyber Personnel Shortage Is A Major National Security Fail For Biden

Alejandro Mayorkas

Joe Biden

Readers Pass

U.S. officials are aggressively searching for malware that they say hackers from China have implanted into American infrastructure to disrupt U.S. military operations in the event that the communist nation launches an attack on Taiwan.
Officials said that the malicious computer code, which penetrated U.S. systems well over a year ago but was only detected by Microsoft in May, was especially troubling because its purpose was not traditional spying, i.e., information gathering. Microsoft and the U.S. government both said the malware came from China.
The malware was hidden &#8220;deep inside the networks controlling power grids, communications systems and water supplies that feed military bases in the United States and around the world,&#8221; The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/29/us/politics/china-malware-us-military-bases-taiwan.html">reported</a>. It infected systems that impact not only the U.S. military but also U.S. citizens and the economy.
Officials said that while the effort to destroy the malware has been underway for months, they still don&#8217;t know how widespread it is.
Officials say there were two possible goals when China infected utility infrastructure that &#8220;serve both civilian populations and nearby military bases,&#8221; the Times reported. The malware has not been detected in classified systems.
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One motivation could be to delay a U.S. response to an invasion of Taiwan, noting that a slowed response time of even a couple of days due to logistical issues could be the difference between China winning or losing. A second possible goal is to cause such chaos in the U.S. during their invasion that Americans would not care about what is happening in Taiwan.
Officials told the Times that the malware was &#8220;a ticking time bomb&#8221; and that it “raises the question of what, exactly, they are preparing for.”
Officials have reportedly exercised caution in determining how to remove the malware because any action from the U.S. could tip off China as to what the U.S. is able to detect and not able to detect. Doing so, the report said, could lead Chinese hackers to alter their cyberattacks targeting U.S. systems with more sophisticated software that could be harder to find.

SKOREA-US-MILITARY

‘A Ticking Time Bomb’: China Infects American Infrastructure With Malware To Disrupt U.S. Military

Infrastructure

Technology

U.S. Military

Multiple Right-leaning media outlets were hit with DDoS cyberattacks just minutes after reporting on the bombshell news that a foreign national who allegedly bribed Joe and Hunter Biden has audio recordings of his conversations with them. 
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senator-reveals-fbi-informant-file-references-17-biden-audio-recordings">said</a> the FBI possesses a file containing 15 recordings of conversations between a Burisma executive and Hunter Biden and two recordings between the executive and then-Vice President Joe Biden. Conservative news outlets The Post Millennial, the DC Enquirer, and Human Events all said they were targeted by cyberattacks after covering the story. Other conservative sites that reported on the revelations, including The Daily Wire, did not come under attack and it was not clear that there was any connection.
“How strange that our site would be targeted with a DDoS attack just minutes after we release breaking news that basically confirms Joe and Hunter Biden’[s] corruption,” The Post Millennial <a href="https://twitter.com/TPostMillennial/status/1668396192508661760" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted</a>. 
Human Events Senior Editor Jack Posobiec told podcast host Tim Pool Monday night that his team informed him that the outlet was facing “a deliberate attempt to take down” the website minutes after its report on Grassley’s announcement was published.
&#8220;It seems like the attack on Human Events, Post Millennial, Bongino Report, and a couple other websites may be related to this GOP report about Biden&#8217;s recordings,&#8221; Pool said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
On Timcast,<a href="https://twitter.com/JackPosobiec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JackPosobiec</a> breaks down the details of the DDoS attack against <a href="https://twitter.com/TPostMillennial?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TPostMillennial</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/HumanEvents?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HumanEvents</a> that took place right after we shared the new bombshell Biden allegations. <a href="https://t.co/G49AAhi0gu">pic.twitter.com/G49AAhi0gu</a>
&mdash; The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) <a href="https://twitter.com/TPostMillennial/status/1668411003577704449?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 13, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Around the same time The Post Millennial and Human Events were hit, the DC Enquirer <a href="https://twitter.com/DcEnquirer/status/1668401419848646658" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confirmed</a> that it was facing what appeared to be the same DDoS attack. Conservative political commentator Dan Bongino <a href="https://twitter.com/dbongino/status/1668404846997692416" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> his website, the Bongino Report, was “under a relentless DDoS attack,” but Bongino connected the breach to a show he did earlier in the day, when he discussed leftist billionaire philanthropist George Soros. 
All four conservative websites appeared to be running normally as of Tuesday morning, and the Biden/Burisma alleged bribery scheme remained a top story on The Post Millennial, the Bongino Report, and the DC Enquirer.  
Grassley dropped the bombshell during a Senate floor speech Monday, saying, “These recordings were allegedly kept as a sort of insurance policy for the foreign national in case he got into a tight spot.” 
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“The (file) also indicates that then-Vice President Joe Biden may have been involved in Burisma employing Hunter Biden,” he added. 
The identity of the informant has not been publicly disclosed, but Comer and Grassley have characterized him as a trusted FBI source. The FBI has resisted producing the document to Congress, warning that it contains unverified information and disclosing it could endanger sources and investigations.
Daniel Chaitin contributed to this report.

Joe and Hunter Biden

Conservative Outlets Face Cyberattacks After Reporting On Alleged Recordings Of Joe And Hunter Biden

Burisma

Conservative Media

Hunter Biden

Media

Microsoft officials on Wednesday issued an advisory saying a Chinese hacking group compromised “critical” U.S. cyber infrastructure focused on gathering intelligence – and urged customers to close or change credentials for exposed accounts.
“Microsoft has uncovered stealthy and targeted malicious activity focused on post-compromise credential access and network system discovery aimed at critical infrastructure organizations in the United States,” the company said in a <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2023/05/24/volt-typhoon-targets-us-critical-infrastructure-with-living-off-the-land-techniques/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blog post</a>.
According to Microsoft, the Chinese state-sponsored hacking group Volt Typhoon, which typically focuses its efforts on espionage, allegedly compromised U.S. national cyber infrastructure across numerous industries to disrupt “critical communications infrastructure between the United States and Asia” to obstruct efforts during “future crises.”
Such industries in the ongoing attack include communications, manufacturing, utility, transportation, construction, maritime, government, information technology, and education sectors.
“The threat actor intends to perform espionage and maintain access without being detected for as long as possible” rather than creating an immediate disruption.
Volt Typhoon infiltrates organizations by identifying unknown vulnerabilities in a cybersecurity suite called Fortiguard, according to Microsoft. After the group gains access to a system, the hackers steal user credentials and then try to gain access to other corporate systems.
The National Security Agency detailed how threat actors use techniques called living off the land to avoid detection, which uses primary tactics, techniques, and procedures from built-in network administration tools to perform their objectives. The agency further instructed cybersecurity teams on how they should respond to the hack in the <a href="https://media.defense.gov/2023/May/24/2003229517/-1/-1/0/CSA_Living_off_the_Land.PDF" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bulletin</a> on Wednesday.
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency officials warned in a joint <a href="https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/news/us-and-international-partners-release-advisory-warning-prc-state-sponsored-cyber-activity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> with international and domestic intelligence services that China poses a risk to American intellectual property.
“For years, China has conducted aggressive cyber operations to steal intellectual property and sensitive data from organizations around the globe,” CISA director Jen Easterly said in a statement.
American intelligence agencies and Microsoft detected the Chinese hacking group had installed a mysterious computer code in telecommunications systems in Guam and other parts of the U.S. in February, around the time military authorities shot down a Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/24/us/politics/china-guam-malware-cyber-microsoft.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Times</a>.
U.S. companies with classified information have been targeted by Chinese government-backed hackers, CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/03/01/covington-burling-was-hacked-sec-is-now-suing-the-dc-law-firm.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Suspected Chinese state-sponsored hackers compromised Covington and Burling law firm in 2020.

Daily Life And Economy In Hungary

Microsoft Says Chinese Government-Backed Hackers Compromised ‘Critical’ U.S. Cyber Infrastructure

Microsoft Says Chinese Government-Backed Hackers Compromised 'Critical' U.S. Cyber Infrastructure

Microsoft

A Russian group of hackers <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11833591/Russian-hackers-post-NAKED-photos-Pennsylvania-cancer-patients-hospital-refused-ransom.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stole information</a> from a Pennsylvania health network and then published naked photos of cancer patients online when the hospital refused to pay a ransom.
Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN), comprised of 13 hospitals and 28 healthcare centers, was attacked by a group called ALPHV, nicknamed BlackCat.
“We have been in your network for a long time and have had time to study your business,” the hackers threatened on March 4. “In addition, we have stolen your confidential data and are ready to publish it. We have the data of your client base of patients, namely their passports, personal data, questionnaires, nude photos and the like. Our blog is followed by a lot of world media, the case will be widely publicized and will cause significant damage to your business.”
“Your time is running out. We are ready to unleash our full power on you!” they concluded.
After the health network refused to pay the ransom, three screenshots of cancer patients receiving radiation oncology treatment were published on the dark web, along with seven documents containing patient information, <a href="https://www.lehighvalleylive.com/business/2023/03/gang-leaks-lehigh-valley-health-network-cancer-patient-photos-as-part-of-data-hack.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lehigh Valley Live</a> reported.
“This unconscionable criminal act takes advantage of patients receiving cancer treatment, and LVHN condemns this despicable behavior,” the network stated.
In mid-February, Dr. Brian Nester, president and CEO of Lehigh Valley Health Network, released a <a href="https://6abc.com/lehigh-valley-health-network-cyberattack-hospitals-ransomware-russia-hackers/12852619/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>, saying, “Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) has been the target of a cybersecurity attack by a ransomware gang, known as BlackCat, which has been associated with Russia. As of today, the attack has not disrupted LVHN&#8217;s operations. Based on our initial analysis, the attack was on the network supporting one physician practice located in Lackawanna County. We take this very seriously and protecting the data security and privacy of our patients, physicians and staff is critical.”
“This group, in particular, is unusual to some extent. They will go after hospitals because this is where the money is. And they will go after US hospitals because this is where a lot of money is, and they&#8217;ve been successful in the past,&#8221; Dr. Pablo Molina, the chief information security officer for Drexel University, <a href="https://6abc.com/lehigh-valley-health-network-cyberattack-dark-web-stolen-documents/12926619/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
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LVHN asserted it is still investigating, acknowledging the attack centered on Delta Medix IT system but had limited impact on other IT systems. “We will provide notices as required to those whose information was involved,” they stated.
Lehigh Valley Health Network&#8217;s <a href="https://www.lvhn.org/about-us" target="_blank" rel="noopener">history</a> began with 13 local women who raised $5,300 for a plot of land in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and opened The Allentown Hospital in 1899. Over 50 years later, a group of Lutheran clergy purchased a 102-acre field in Bethlehem, and in 1961, the Muhlenberg Hospital Center opened.
In the late 1960s, Dorothy Pool, the wife of Leonard Parker Pool, had to travel to New York City for cancer treatment. That prompted Leonard Pool to donate $5 million to help the construction of the flagship hospital of the network: Lehigh Valley Hospital–Cedar Crest in Salisbury Township, Pennsylvania. That hospital contains the John and Dorothy Morgan Cancer Center, which was selected as the second member of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Alliance in 2015.
The network features Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital, the only children’s hospital in the Lehigh Valley.

Mobile Mammography Van  The Lehigh Valley Cancer Institute 3D Mobile Mammography van is parked Wednesday at the Lehigh Valley Health Network’s Hamburg office. Photo by Bill Uhrich  3/13/2019

Nude Photos Of Pennsylvania Cancer Patients Published By Russian Hackers After Health Network Won’t Pay Ransom

Cancer

Health

Pennsylvania

One of the nation&#8217;s largest school districts has been targeted in a cyberattack.
The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) released a statement on Tuesday revealing the recent ransomware attack on its technology systems.
&#8220;Los Angeles Unified detected unusual activity in its Information Technology systems over the weekend, which after initial review, can be confirmed as an external cyber attack on our Information Technology assets,&#8221; the LAUSD&#8217;s <a href="https://achieve.lausd.net/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&amp;DomainID=4&amp;ModuleInstanceID=45662&amp;ViewID=5a34c2e3-8f9c-41db-86d5-75dba1e91cc2&amp;RenderLoc=0&amp;FlexDataID=122767&amp;PageID=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> read.
&#8220;Since the identification of the incident, which is likely criminal in nature, we continue to assess the situation with law enforcement agencies. While the investigation continues, Los Angeles Unified has swiftly implemented a response protocol to mitigate Districtwide disruptions, including access to email, computer systems and applications,&#8221; it added.
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Los Angeles Unified Targeted by Ransomware Attack
For more information, please visit <a href="https://t.co/Itdix5TlqK">https://t.co/Itdix5TlqK</a>. <a href="https://t.co/HDgktJKT0S">pic.twitter.com/HDgktJKT0S</a>
&mdash; Los Angeles Unified (@LASchools) <a href="https://twitter.com/LASchools/status/1567173899724652545?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 6, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The school district emphasized classes would continue on Tuesday. Backup mechanisms were put into place to ensure a safe school environment if network issues continue.
LAUSD also noted that the White House, Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and the Education Department were investigating the weekend&#8217;s ransomware effort.
In addition to posting an update on its Twitter account and other social media platforms, the school district shared a post notifying all students and employees of the requirement to change passwords on LAUSD accounts.
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Update on Resetting Your LAUSD Account Password <a href="https://t.co/MY5MdV1Zr6">pic.twitter.com/MY5MdV1Zr6</a>
&mdash; Los Angeles Unified (@LASchools) <a href="https://twitter.com/LASchools/status/1567169919590203392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 6, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The post noted that delays may occur due to high demand on the system.
The LAUSD first reported <a href="https://twitter.com/LASchools/status/1566920835616481280" target="_blank" rel="noopener">districtwide technical issues</a> on Monday due to &#8220;an external source.&#8221; Users of the website were met with a pop-up message notifying them of an outage.
The nation&#8217;s second-largest school district serves more than 600,000 students at more than 1,000 schools. LAUSD also operates more than 200 independently operated public charter schools, Variety <a href="https://variety.com/2022/digital/news/l-a-unified-school-district-ransomware-attack-hack-1235361483/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The district&#8217;s boundaries &#8220;stretch across 720 square miles and include the City of Los Angeles as well as all or parts of 31 municipalities and several unincorporated regions of Southern California.&#8221;
The school system is not alone in facing cyberattacks. A January report revealed that California ranked the <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/report-california-most-targeted-state-for-ransomware-attacks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">highest</a> among states in the nation for ransomware attacks. Nationwide, ransomware attacks on U.S. schools and colleges cost an <a href="https://www.comparitech.com/blog/information-security/school-ransomware-attacks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">estimated</a> $3.56 billion in 2021.
Nationally, the U.S. continues to address the threat of cyberattacks. Last month, Sen. Angus King (I-ME) and Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) sent a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to urge better protection for the healthcare sector from attacks on threats on technology systems.
“With cyber threats growing exponentially, we must prioritize addressing the [health care and public health] sector’s cybersecurity gaps,” the two lawmakers <a href="https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warning-of-cyberthreats-to-health-care-networks-cyberspace-solarium-co-chairs-urge-biden-administration-to-improve-security" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>.
“Ransomware attacks on the sector have skyrocketed in the past two years as opportunistic criminals recognized that hospitals may pay quickly to resolve issues and protect patient safety,” it added.

Hacker attacking internet

Los Angeles School District Targeted In Cyberattack

Education

Los Angeles

Public Schools

Smelling disaster in the air for the upcoming November elections, Senate Democrats are rolling out accusations of possible Russian interference, laying the groundwork for an excuse if they get hammered at the polls.
17 Democrat senators, led by former Democratic presidential candidate Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Jack Reed (D-RI) sent a <a href="https://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/c/e/ce53344c-db09-4fb2-bb90-9ffc0b4c7697/C4E2463963E65D6F8761B2CF0C1A9AEE.06-09-23-ic-letter-election-disinfo-002-.pdf">letter</a> to the highest-ranking national security officials of the Biden administration warning of Russian meddling in the 2022 elections.
“As the Russian invasion of Ukraine has led to an increase in Russian disinformation and warnings of potential cyberattacks, we urge you to ensure that your agencies are prepared to quickly and effectively counter Russian influence campaigns targeting the 2022 elections,” the senators wrote to the Secretaries of Defense, Homeland Security, the director of the FBI, the Director of National Intelligence, the Director of the National Security Agency, and Commander of U.S. Cyber Command,
The letter referred to “experts” who “have warned that the increase in Russian disinformation and cyber threats creates a security concern for U.S. elections.”
After citing confirmed Russian interference in 2016, 2018, and 2020 American elections, the senators wrote, “With primaries underway for the 2022 midterm election cycle and ongoing preparations for the November general election, it is vital that the federal government does everything in its power to ensure the integrity of our elections against foreign threats.”
The letter made no mention of Iran’s interference in the 2020 election in order to hurt the chances of former President Trump; that fact was part of a report from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) released in March 2021. The <a href="https://www.dni.gov/files/ODNI/documents/assessments/ICA-declass-16MAR21.pdf">report</a>, which also cited Russian interference, stated:
<blockquote>We assess that Iran carried out a multi-pronged covert influence campaign intended to undercut former President Trump’s reelection prospects &#8230; We assess that Supreme Leader Khamenei authorized the campaign and Iran’s military and intelligence services implemented it using overt and covert messaging and cyber operations.</blockquote>
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NEW: <a href="https://twitter.com/ODNIgov?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ODNIgov</a> releases unclassified report on attempted election interference in 2020 election&#8230; TAKEAWAYS — Russia tried to undercut Biden — Iran tried to undercut Trump — China attempted no influence campaigns — No attempts to alter &quot;any technical aspect of the voting process&quot; <a href="https://t.co/kxzCqQ6F7H">pic.twitter.com/kxzCqQ6F7H</a>
&mdash; Christian Datoc (@TocRadio) <a href="https://twitter.com/TocRadio/status/1371886959795318785?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The same ODNI report concluded that China had not interfered in the 2020 election, although influence efforts were strongly considered by the communist regime. An August 2020 Trump administration <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2020/08/07/trump-china-russia-2020-election/">statement</a> from William Evanina, Director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, had opined:
<blockquote>We assess that China prefers that President Trump – whom Beijing sees as unpredictable – does not win reelection. China has been expanding its influence efforts ahead of November 2020 to shape the policy environment in the United States, pressure political figures it views as opposed to China’s interests, and deflect and counter criticism of China.</blockquote>

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