U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Suffers Cyberattack

According to a Bloomberg report, the U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Department suffered a cyberattack on its computer system earlier this week, amid the country’s battle with the coronavirus pandemic.

The incident was said to be part of a campaign of disruption and disinformation aimed at undermining response to the pandemic. It involved overloading HHS’s servers through millions of hits, but spokespeople said there were extra precautions already in place.

“We are aware of a cyber incident related to the Health and Human Services computer networks, and the federal government is investigating this incident thoroughly,” said John Ullyot, a spokesman for the National Security Council, in a statement. “HHS and federal government cybersecurity professionals are continuously monitoring and taking appropriate actions to secure our federal networks.”

A foreign actor is suspected, but not confirmed.

Healthcare organizations are not new to cyberattacks, but there is a reported increase in attempts to exploit situation creating a great deal of volatility.