CISA releases advisory on Black Basta ransomware that targeted 500 industries, including the recent Ascension attack

The healthcare sector remains the prime target of threat actors

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Published onMay 13, 2024

published onMay 13, 2024

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CISA, in collaboration with the FBI(Federal Bureau of Investigation), HHS(Department of Health and Human Services), and MS-ISAC(Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center), recently released an advisory on theBlack Bastaransomware highlighting the attack details and mitigations.

According to theCISA’s advisory, threat actors usedBlack Bastato encrypt and steal data from 12 of the 16 critical industries. This includes theHealthcare and Public Health (HPH)sector.

New#StopRansomwareadvisory provides recently observed#IOCs&#TTPson Black Basta. With our partners@FBI,@HHSGov, &@CISecurity’s MS-ISAC, we published actionable information to help all orgs identify & protect against this ransomware activity:https://t.co/Z5MfWNcVAvpic.twitter.com/DR8IlJaSfY

DescribingBlack Basta, the advisory reads,

The advisory also delves into the modus operandi of theBlack Bastaaffiliates. It suggests that threat actors first breach the systems through known vulnerabilities, then both extract and encrypt the data, forcing organizations to cede to their demands.

The ransom amount is not shared right away, but affected organizations are instructed to contact theBlack Bastaaffiliates through a.onionlink, which is only accessible via theTorbrowser. Then, affected parties have 10-12 days to pay the ransom or risk having the data posted on theBlack Basta TORwebsite.

Amongst all the industries, healthcare remains the primary target for threat actors linked to theBlack Bastaransomware due to the critical information involved and the scale of disruption it causes, the Ascension attack being a recent example. It led to the non-profit diverting ambulances from hospitals following the attack, according toCNN.

Ascension didn’t share any more information about the attack but confirmed working alongside the FBI and CISA to ascertain the extent of the attack and identify if any personal information was compromised.

Although the CISA advisory didn’t directly connect Black Basta affiliates with the Ascension attack, reports suggest that threat actors linked to the ransomware were responsible.

Previously, theUnitedHealth Groupfaced a similar attack and had paid $22 million to threat actors in a bid to protect the user’s data. It was one of the biggest attacks in recent times, affecting a third of Americans, according toCNN.

Mitigations against Black Basta ransomware shared by CISA

The joint advisory by CISA and FBI lists a series of mitigations that will help protect the systems against theBlack Bastaransomware.

Cyber attacks have increased exponentially in recent years, primarily due to AI reaching into the hands of threat actors. WhileMicrosoft has committed to safeguarding AI from threat actors, the situation on the ground is different.

We will have to wait and see what impact the CISA’sBlack Bastaransomware advisory has and whether it leads to fewer attacks in the coming days.

What do you think? Share with our readers in the comments section.

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CISA releases advisory on Black Basta ransomware that targeted 500 industries, including the recent Ascension attack

Mitigations against Black Basta ransomware shared by CISA