Another black cat crossing: More cybersecurity incidents emerge

Hacks have increased through the pandemic and the war in Ukraine. — © AFP/File Noel Celis

UnitedHealth’s hack from BlackCat caused major disruptions across the U.S. and news relating to the security breach continues to unfold. The last official statement was that the major health provider had suffered a ransomware attack and hackers had in their hands considerable volumes of data.

New rumours suggest UnitedHealth Group (UHG) and its Optum division have paid out over a $22 million ransom payment over the weekend to the ALPHV/BlackCat hackers.

As Digital Journal has previously reported: “BlackCat ransomware has already become quite infamous within the cybersecurity community.”

Looking into the significance for Digital Journal is Ariel Parnes, former Head of the Israeli Intelligence Service Cyber Department. Parnes is also the winner of the Israel Defense Prize for tech innovations in the cyber field, and COO and Co-Founder at Mitiga, the cloud and SaaS incident response leader.

Parnes considers the division between the public and the private sectors and the significance of the recent cyberattack: “In the fight against cybercrime, the state holds a critical position, employing national capabilities like intelligence, law enforcement, and international collaboration to shield against digital threats.”

In terms of current events, Parnes considers: “Recently, we have seen the use of offensive cyber tactics as part of the arsenal, aiming to damage criminals’ cyber capabilities and prevent their criminal activities. This method was highlighted in the disruption of the BlackCat ransomware by the FBI, which unfortunately led to the group intensifying their operations, as shown in their recent attack on UnitedHealth’s tech unit.”

Looking at the tactics deployed, Parnes asseses: “These cybercrime groups are resilient, often lacking a central vulnerability, which allows them to swiftly recover from attacks. Despite this, the emergence of such action-reaction dynamics in cyber confrontations should not dissuade nations from utilizing their defensive capabilities.”

As to what should be done to repel such attacks, Parnes recommends: “A more effective approach involves a multidimensional, international campaign. This strategy should integrate offensive cyber countermeasures with traditional tools of national power, fostering a collective defense against cyber threats.”

Furthermore, Parnes recommends: “Emphasizing cooperation and comprehensive efforts, this approach is pivotal for a robust defense against the evolving landscape of cybercrime.”