Iran‑linked hackers target second U.S. medical institution, researchers say

Security researchers say a cyberattack linked to Iranian government‑associated hackers struck a U.S. medical organization in late February, marking the second known attack on a U.S. health care institution amid heightened tensions between the United States, Israel, and Iran. The incident involved ransomware deployed after attackers reportedly compromised an administrator account, allowing them to wait several days before encrypting systems in under three hours. However, investigators say no data was exfiltrated and no ransom demand was made in this breach. The attack was analyzed by Beazley Security and Halcyon researchers, who were brought in to respond to the incident.

The development follows a previous cyber campaign attributed to Iran‑linked hackers that targeted U.S. medical device manufacturer Stryker, and comes amid broader concerns that Tehran’s cyber capabilities and proxy groups are being used in retaliation for kinetic military actions. The FBI has also warned of Iran‑linked actors pushing malware to opposition groups via messaging apps. U.S. officials and cybersecurity experts emphasize the threat that these operations pose to critical infrastructure and have underscored the need for vigilance and stronger defensive measures. (axios.com)

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