Computer Security Theater

Article:   Johnson, Kevin. “'Criminal Syndicate with a Flag': North Korean Intel Operatives Charged in Hacking Campaign.” USA Today. Gannett Satellite Information Network, February 17, 2021. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/02/17/us-charges-north-korean-intel-operatives-global-hacking-campaign/6781478002/. On February 17, 2021, the U.S. government charged three intelligence officials from the government of North Korea for participating in a global hacking campaign to steal $1.2 billion in crypto and regular currency.  According to the article, the investigation started after the 2014 Sony Pictures hack that led to the leaking of the movie The Interview but widened as investigators discovered what was described in the article as "a criminal syndicate with a flag representing the North Korean government."  The investigation also led to charges against a private citizen who was charged with organizing gangs of people using cloned ATM cards to steal mill...

 Article: Evans, Jack. “Someone Tried to Poison Oldsmar's Water Supply during Hack, Sheriff Says.” Tampa Bay Times. Tampa Bay Times, February 10, 2021. https://www.tampabay.com/news/pinellas/2021/02/08/someone-tried-to-poison-oldsmars-water-supply-during-hack-sheriff-says/.  Businesses like Equifax aren’t the only entities vulnerable to hackers.  Water treatment plants can be too.  Case in point:  the hacking of the Oldsmar, FL water treatment plant.   On February 6, 2021, employees at the Oldsmar city water treatment plant noticed something strange:  the sodium hydroxide (lye) level had been changed in the computer managing the treatment plant into add 100 times more of the chemical to the water.  Lye is added to the water to control acidity but it is poisonous in higher levels.  Fortunately, the employees were able to change the lye level back to normal levels immediately before any damage was done.  Even if the employee hadn’t noticed...

 Articles:   Miliard, Mike. “EHR Snooping at Montefiore Leads to Security Breach.” Healthcare IT News, February 1, 2021. https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/ehr-snooping-montefiore-leads-security-breach. Sutton, Scott. “Bethesda Hospital Hit by Security Breach; Patients' Private Information Possibly Impacted.” WPTV.com. WPTV, February 1, 2021. https://www.wptv.com/news/region-s-palm-beach-county/boynton-beach/bethesda-hospital-hit-by-security-breach-patients-private-information-possibly-impacted. During the first week of February, two hospital systems, Montefiore Medical Center in The Bronx, NY, and Bethesda in Boynton Beach, FL, announced that they had experienced security breaches due to employee misconduct.  Montefiore case, a now former employee accessed the electronic health records (EHR) system and accessed patients' names, dates of birth, addresses, and potentially test results.  In the Bethesda case, an employee at the hospital accessed patient health ...