ESO Solutions is a primary software developer and analytics platform for emergency and associated services; its programs connect emergency response agencies, fire departments, hospitals, and state response offices.
ESO collects and disperses data between the services, giving responders the most complete information. All the published information about the event states the incident was ransomware-based, but not how the attack happened. They responded by downing their network, isolating the threat. ESO may have complied with some or all of a ransom demandβor have held negotiation meetings concerning it.
The data leveraged in this event is composed of personal information; the variety of data differs between individuals, but the risk level remains high for all victims. Joseph Health, and Universal Health Services. Officials subsequently discovered the malware days later, around September 28th. Their investigations concluded before the end of Octoberβand officials notified preliminary groups starting December 12th. The thieves stole an estimated 2. Even if the criminals successfully obtained all or partial payment for their deeds, they can still misuse the data.
They could become part of the growing number of double extortion plots playing out across the globe. Cybercriminals have been obtaining ransom demands, only to turn around and sell the compromised data online. From the dark web, anyone could misuse the data. First, those impacted by this event must secure their accounts; most of the data stolen is not easily changed, so the data owners must secure rather than change the details.
They can secure their accounts by updating their passwords and enabling multi-factor authentications wherever possible. They should also review all medical statements from their institutions for inaccuracies or purportedly rendered services. Those with high-risk information from this breach minors and elders should also consider account monitoring services; investing in monitoring services helps mitigate data breach consequences by alerting users to suspicious activity. He also holds several IT and cybersecurity certifications.
