The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is encouraging organizations to familiarize themselves with the growing threat of ransomware — malicious software that blocks access to a computer system until an amount of money (ransom) is paid — and to take steps to avoid the threat. HHS recently provided links to online government resources to help healthcare facilities protect their computer systems from the ransomware threat, including:
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• Ransomware threat flyer.
• Spotlight webinar — ransomware.
• Ransomware cyber awareness flyer.
• Ransomware Task Force: Combatting Ransomware Report.
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The White House has issued a memo with recommended best practices for organizations to drive down their cyber security risks.