Cyber attack on Universal Health Services, Inc., 2018

Ransomware is a type of malware from crypto virology that threatens to publish the victim's data or perpetually block access to it unless a ransom is paid. While some simple ransomware may lock the system so that it is not difficult for a knowledgeable person to reverse, more advanced malware uses a technique called crypto viral extortion. It encrypts the victim's files, making them inaccessible, and demands a ransom payment to decrypt. Ransomware attacks are typically carried out using a Trojan disguised as a legitimate file that the user is tricked into downloading or opening when it arrives as an email attachment. During the height of the pandemic, international law enforcement authorities warned that hospitals and healthcare facilities in multiple countries were being targeted in ransomware attacks.

Often a ransomware attack is the first phase of a multistage extortion attempt from cybercriminals. Criminals routinely demand millions of dollars to unlock the encrypted systems and then follow that up by threatening to publish stolen data online if they are not paid a second time.

On September 28, 2020, until October 7, 2020, Universal Health Services, which runs more than 400 healthcare facilities in the United States and the United Kingdom, has more than 90,000 employees and cares for about 3.5 million patients each year, had its IT network hit by a ransomware attack which left a number of its hospitals in the United States without access to computer and phone systems, including facilities in California, Florida, Texas, Arizona and Washington, D.C.

The ransomware attack managed to disable multiple antivirus programs in place on the targeted systems. Once the antivirus software was disabled, the malware caused the computers to log out and shut down, and if administrators attempted to reboot these systems, they shut down again. With their systems shut down, clinicians could not access vital information, including data found in their Electronic Health Record (EHR) or picture archiving and communication system (PACS) system.

Your assignment:

• What were three areas that went well with the response?
• What were three significant challenges with the response?
• What were three ways in which the response could have been improved?

During Week One, we discussed Fayol's Five Functions of Management: (a) Planning, (b) organizing, (c) coordinating, (d) commanding, and (e) controlling.

As the Chief Operating Officer (COO) at one of the (UHS) healthcare facilities in the United States or Territories (Universal Health Services, Locations; pick one), how would you augment your healthcare facilitys preparation and response to protect and mitigate against future cyberattacks? Discuss ways in which you would use all five functions of Fayol's Five Functions of Management, would influence the development of your plan. You must reference Fayol to receive credit for this area.