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Safety
communication Cyber Security Cyberattack Cybersecurity data security Optum CEO Safety

Optum CEO Stresses Communication's Vital Role in Cyberattack Management

 

UnitedHealth Group's subsidiary, Change Healthcare, is anticipated to provide a significant update possibly by Tuesday, following a severe ransomware attack that has persisted for five consecutive days, causing disruptions in healthcare services nationwide.

Change Healthcare plays a pivotal role in handling claims and payments for various healthcare entities, including hospitals and pharmacies.

Dr. Amar Desai, CEO of Optum Health, a division of UnitedHealthcare, stated that the company is actively addressing the issue. Desai, along with other Optum executives, has been in constant communication with affected companies' top executives, particularly those in charge of security, information, and technology.

Desai emphasized the importance of robust communication channels among stakeholders during such incidents to ensure a coordinated response. He made these remarks during the Vive healthcare conference in Los Angeles, where he was part of a panel discussion alongside Huntington Health CEO Dr. Lori Morgan, moderated by Yahoo Finance.

UnitedHealth initially reported the cyberattack to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Thursday, revealing that the attack commenced on February 21. The filing indicated that the company was suspected of involvement of a nation-state-linked cyber threat actor.

According to Optum, the perpetrator behind the attack has been identified as Blackcat, a ransomware group with Russian sponsorship. Despite the FBI's efforts to dismantle Blackcat late last year, the group has persisted in its malicious activities, targeting healthcare entities and government agencies.

In response to the ongoing threat, the American Hospital Association (AHA) advised healthcare systems to disconnect from Change Healthcare and develop contingency plans should the attack prolong.

As of the latest update on Monday, Change Healthcare stated that it promptly disconnected its systems upon detecting the threat. Notably, Optum, UnitedHealthcare, and UnitedHealth Group systems remain unaffected.

Change Healthcare reiterated its commitment not to compromise on security measures during the recovery process, emphasizing a proactive approach to addressing any potential issues promptly.

The full extent of the impact on Change Healthcare's partners remains unclear, and it may take some time before a comprehensive assessment is possible.
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Social Media
Artifical Intelligence communication Cyber Security Healthcare Social Media

Revolutionizing the Future: How AI is Transforming Healthcare, Cybersecurity, and Communications


Healthcare

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the healthcare industry by evaluating combinations of substances and procedures that will improve human health and thwart pandemics. AI was crucial in helping medical personnel respond to the COVID-19 outbreak and in the development of the COVID-19 vaccination medication. 

AI is also being used in medication discovery to find new treatments for diseases. For example, AI can analyze large amounts of data to identify patterns and relationships that would be difficult for humans to see. This can lead to the discovery of new drugs or treatments that can improve patient outcomes.

Cybersecurity

AI is also transforming the field of cybersecurity. With the increasing amount of data being generated and stored online, there is a growing need for advanced security measures to protect against cyber threats. 

AI can help by analyzing data to identify patterns and anomalies that may indicate a security breach. This can help organizations detect and respond to threats more quickly, reducing the potential damage caused by a cyber attack. AI can also be used to develop more advanced security measures, such as biometric authentication, that can provide an additional layer of protection against cyber threats.

Communication

Finally, AI is transforming the field of communications. With the rise of social media and other digital communication platforms, there is a growing need for advanced tools to help people communicate more effectively.

AI can help by providing language translation services, allowing people to communicate with others who speak different languages. AI can also be used to develop chatbots that can provide customer service or support, reducing the need for human agents. This can improve the efficiency of communication and reduce costs for organizations.

AI is transforming many industries, including healthcare, cybersecurity, and communications. By analyzing large amounts of data and identifying patterns and relationships, AI can help improve outcomes in these fields. As technology continues to advance, we can expect to see even more applications of AI in these and other industries.

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virus
communication Cyber Attacks DNS Informationblox malware RAT Trojan virus

DNS Malware Toolkit Discovered by Infoblox and Urged to be Blocked

 


This week, Infoblox Inc. announced the release of its threat report blog on a remote access Trojan (RAT) toolkit with DNS command and control, which is being used for remote access and data theft. Infoblox provides a cloud-enabled networking and security platform capable of improving performance and protection. 

In the U.S., Europe, South America, and Asia, an anomalous DNS signature had been observed in enterprise networks that were created through the use of the toolkit. Across a wide range of sectors such as technology, healthcare, energy, financial services, and others, these trends were seen. The communications with the Russian controller can be traced to some of these communications. 

A malware program is a software application that infiltrates your computer with the intent of committing malicious acts. Viruses, worms, ransomware, spyware, Trojan horses, Trojan horses, spyware, and keylogging programs, all of which can be classified as malware. There are alarming challenges network and security professionals face daily in the face of malware that is becoming more sophisticated and capable of circumventing traditional defenses. 

By leveraging DNS infrastructure and threat intelligence, Infoblox's Malware Containment and Control solution can help organizations reduce malware risk by employing the most effective mitigation methods. Additionally, it enables leading security technologies to use contextual threat data, indicators of compromise, and other context-sensitive information to automate and accelerate the threat response process. 

Informationblox's Threat Intelligence Group discovered a new toolkit known as "Decoy Dog" that was branded as an attack toolkit. To disrupt this activity, the company collaborates with other security vendors, customers, and government agencies to work together. 

Furthermore, it identifies the attack vector and even secures networks across the globe. A crucial insight is that DNS anomalies that are measured over time proved to be important in detecting and analyzing the RAT, but also enabling the C2 communications to be tracked together despite appearing to be independent on the surface. 

Analyzing threats, identifying them, and mitigating them: 

During the first and second quarters of 2023, Infoblox discovered activity in multiple enterprise networks caused by the remote access Trojan (RAT) Puppy being active in multiple enterprise networks. C2 communication has not been found since April 2022, indicating that this was a one-way communication. 

An indicator of the presence of a RAT can be uncovered by investigating its DNS footprint. It does, however, show some strong outlier behavior when analyzed using a global cloud-based DNS protection system such as Infoblox's BloxOne® Threat Defense, when compared to traditional DNS protection systems. The integration of heterogeneous domains within Infoblox was also made possible by this technology. 

Communication between two C2 systems takes place over DNS and is supported by an open-source RAT known as Puppy. The project is an open-source project but it has always been associated with actors that are acting on behalf of nations despite its open nature. 

The risks associated with a vulnerable DNS can be mitigated by organizations with a protective DNS. There is no need to worry about these suspicious domains because BloxOne Threat Defense protects customers against them. 

In the detection of the RAT, anomalous DNS traffic has been detected on limited networks and devices on the network, like firewalls, but not on devices used by users, like laptops and mobile devices. 

Malware uses DNS to connect to its command and control (C&C) servers to communicate with them. As a result of its ability to contain and control malware, DNS is ideally suited for the task. Infoblox, for example, should focus on DNS as the point of attack from where malware can be injected to contain and control malware. 

It is imperative to highlight that malware prevention solutions are becoming more and more adept at sharing threat data with the broader security ecosystem. This is thanks to APIs, Syslog, and SNMP communication protocols.
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SEG
communication Cyber Attacks Cybersecurity Emails Ransoware SEG

Email Security: Secure Email Gateways


You expect a message to reach the intended recipient without any errors when you send it via email. There is a small group of people who are within this group as cybercriminals. They are constantly trying to hijack emails. They also trick people into opening malicious attachments or clicking on links that will provide them with malware to install on their devices.  

Therefore, what are the best ways to protect yourself, your family, your friends, and your employees from these risks? By implementing a secure email gateway, you can prevent these threats from occurring. 

There are several types of secure email gateways (SEG), some of which are used by businesses, organizations, or governments to protect their internal email servers from cyberattacks that can infiltrate the email servers of those organizations. SEGs ensure that outgoing and inbound emails contain no malicious elements. Using this feature, users can keep track of emails they have sent and received and decide if they should be processed according to their previous instructions.  

To protect email communications, secure email gateways are placed to connect the organization's server to the public internet. As any message enters or leaves the server, it is scanned by the SEG. 

Essentially, SEGs are designed to prevent unwanted emails from being able to reach the servers of your email service provider to cause any damage. In this way, SEGs offer a level of protection for confidential information from cyber criminals, provide data privacy, and encrypt sensitive emails to protect data from being breached. 

Several types of emails could be harmful, including 

  • Spam
  • Malware
  • Viruses
  • Business Email Compromise (BEC)
  • Fraudulent content
  • Ransomware
  • Denial-of-Service (DoS) or Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks
  • Trojan
  • Phishing attacks
Further, SEGs are expected to thoroughly scan outbound emails and internal email communications between employees. This is to prevent sensitive information about the business from being leaked into the public domain. If malicious content is detected on the server, emails will not be allowed to leave the server. 

What Are the Functions of a Secure Email Gateway? 

SEGs are designed to scan and filter incoming and outgoing emails on an email server. They employ a set of rules that the system uses to assess the potential for spam. Both inbound and outbound emails are protected against harmful content that can be transmitted between your devices and your network. 

As part of the scanning process, SEGs confirm whether any malicious content has been included in the domain, its contents, and any attachments inside the email. If the messages are found free of malware following the scanning process, the SEG routes them to the email server. The SEG also routes them to the user's mailbox if they do not contain malware. 

What are the features of secure email gateways? 

SEGs have their unique functions and features, but here are some of the most common security features that SEGs offer. 

Filtering spam mail 

Technology for spam filtering uses algorithms to identify spam from known spam email domains and quarantine or block it. 

Spammers use specific patterns of email content to detect new emails with spam-related patterns, such as keywords and malicious links, as well as new emails. In addition, this feature will allow users to report spam and block the sender if certain spam emails pass the gateway and enter your mailbox. 

Protection against malware and viruses 

Additionally, it protects you against malware and viruses that may infect your email network due to malware on your computer. The company employs antivirus software to scan emails and block or quarantine any that have viruses or malware in them, thereby protecting the company from liability. As cybercrime continues to evolve, it is imperative to keep your antivirus software up to date at all times. 

Archiving of e-mails 

Email services are managed by SEGs. You can use them to store and manage your organization's emails so that you can meet your organization's data management and legal compliance requirements. 

Security Email Gateways Can Help You Keep Your Emails Safe 

Various cyber threats can be found in the form of phishing, spam, denial-of-service attacks, and extremely advanced fraud attacks. Thus, individual, business, corporate, and government entities, along with their employees, should employ SIEGs to secure their email accounts from malicious entities that often seek to steal data or cause harm through other means.   

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net neutrality
communication FCC free internet net neutrality

Net Neutrality Repealed in US by FCC

In a 3-2 vote on Thursday, the Federal Communications Commission, in response to a proposal by Ajit Pai, Chairman of the FCC, has accepted the discard of the net neutrality rules that stopped broadband providers from blocking websites, charging extra for higher-quality service, or certain content.

These regulations were created to ensure that providers treat all internet traffic equally and the dismantling of net neutrality has caused outrage and panic among U.S. citizens on the social media.

This action has reversed their 2015 decision to have stricter and stronger oversight over internet providers to ensure the safety of free communication online.

The commission’s chairman, Ajit Pai, has defended the vote saying that this would ultimately benefit the customers as corporations like AT&T and Comcast would be able to provide them a wider range of services, adding that this move would encourage competition and prove as an incentive to build networks.

However, the general consensus seems that this is a move in favor of large corporations and not the consumers. This will also affect start-ups and smaller companies as they have to pay to reach a wider audience.

Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi described this decision as "a stunning blow" to the promise of a free and open Internet.

"With this unjustified and blatant giveaway to big providers, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai is proving himself an eager executor of the Trump Administration's anti-consumer, anti-competition agenda," Pelosi said.

After the uproar caused over this decision, major broadcast providers like AT&T and Comcast have promised their customers that their online experience will not change, but many are skeptical that companies will not adhere to their promise now that there is lighter regulation over their activities.

Several public interest groups and democratic state attorneys have allegedly promised to file a suit to stop this change.
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WhatsApp
Apps business app Business application communication New app WhatsApp

WhatsApp for Business: Standalone App Set for Release

It seems like WhatsApp is finally ready to launch its new standalone app for businesses to interact separately on their platform. In an FAQ on its website, it detailed how WhatsApp for Business is going to work and its features. 

The interface of the app remains the same, but the features afforded to businesses differ from the original messaging app. 

To communicate with customers using this new messaging app, businesses will first have to register using their business number, separate from their normal WhatsApp messenger number. Once they are registered, they will have a ‘business account’ which will be marked by a gray question mark symbol beside their name showing that the business has neither been confirmed or verified by WhatsApp.

Once a business confirms their business number, they become a ‘confirmed account’ and a gray tick appears next to their name. A green check-mark means it is a ‘verified account’ used by a business that is authentic and verified by WhatsApp. 

The new app is already live in Play Store but is yet to be released to general public. 

Back in September, WhatsApp announced that it was experimenting and beta-testing ‘WhatsApp Business’ with few pilot-testers. Users may remember communicating with brands like BookMyShow, MakeMyTrip, or Goibibo using the messaging app.


Kshitija Agrawal


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