Russian state-sponsored cyber actors targeting tech companies, others 

The FBI, along with the National Security Agency and other international cybersecurity agencies, this week released a joint agency advisory on cyber operations by the Russian General Staff Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU), also known as APT28, Fancy Bear, Forest Blizzard, Blue Delta and other identifiers, targeting U.S. and global entities. For over two years, the Russian GRU has targeted logistics and technology companies using a mix of tactics, including reconstituted password spraying capabilities, spearphishing and modification of mailbox permissions. 

“Although the described threat does not appear to target health care directly, we should be aware of hospital and health system third-party service and technology providers who also maintain military contracts to provide services to the U.S. government and allied nations,” said John Riggi, AHA national advisor for cybersecurity and risk. “This alert demonstrates the need for increased due diligence in third-party risk management programs to identify all lines of business in which third parties and business associates are engaged, and which may expose the health care field to collateral cyber risk. This awareness will help drive the implementation of appropriate third-party risk mitigation controls.” 

For more information on this or other cyber and risk issues, contact Riggi at jriggi@aha.org. For the latest cyber and risk resources and threat intelligence, visit aha.org/cybersecurity.