FBI arrests an alleged leader of ShinyHunters cybercriminal group which has attacked healthcare, other organizations

The FBI Sept. 29 announced an arrest of one of the alleged leaders of ShinyHunters, a cybercriminal group linked to cyberattacks in the U.S. and internationally on more than 140 organizations, including healthcare, with at least $70 million taken in extortion payments. ShinyHunters has used targeted voice phishing campaigns to deceive personnel into exposing credentials on malicious, medical-themed impersonation domains, Health-ISAC announced in August. ShinyHunters threat actors have been observed contacting employees directly on personal devices through calls, voicemail messages and emails from multiple random accounts.

"ShinyHunters is currently one of the most prolific and aggressive cybercriminal groups targeting healthcare and third-party healthcare vendors," said John Riggi, AHA national advisor for cybersecurity and risk. "They are known for stealing highly sensitive personal information, including health information and extorting victims with threats to publish it. Today's highly commendable arrest and other recent enforcement actions align with the FBI's new cyber strategy to impose costs on adversaries, support victims of cybercrime and join forces with the private sector, including healthcare."

For more information on this and other cyber and risk issues, contact Riggi, at [email protected], or Scott Gee, AHA deputy national advisor for cybersecurity and risk, at [email protected]. For the latest cyber and risk resources and threat intelligence, visit aha.org/cybersecurity.