Northeastern experts link weak security to health-tech cyberattack

TLDR:

• Cyberattack at Change Healthcare caused prescription delays at pharmacies across the US
• Attack was due to weak security infrastructure, highlighting the need for more decentralized and resilient systems

A cyberattack on major health-tech company Change Healthcare has caused disruptions in pharmacies across the United States, with systems remaining offline since the attack. Northeastern cybersecurity experts Kevin Fu and Aanjhan Ranganathan highlight the key elements of the attack, emphasizing the need for stronger cybersecurity measures.

The attack, reportedly carried out by hackers from the ransomware gang Blackcat, exposed vulnerabilities in Change Healthcare’s security infrastructure. The company had to shut down its systems, causing prescription delays at major pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens. Fu and Ranganathan stress the importance of decentralized systems that are less vulnerable to single points of failure.

Ranganathan suggests storing critical data in multiple locations with different keys, making it harder for attackers to take down the entire system. The attack on Change Healthcare underscores the need for a shift towards building cybersecurity into systems from the ground up, rather than as an afterthought.