The American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the nationwide association of amateur radio in the United States, has confirmed that it suffered a cyberattack that affected its network systems and several services.
Notably, the cyberattack hacked the organization's "Logbook of The World" internet database, which allows amateur radio enthusiasts to post digital logs of successful contacts (QSO) and user confirmations.
The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) is the nation's national amateur radio organization. In addition to offering technical assistance, it advocates for amateur radio issues before regulatory agencies and organizes nationwide gatherings and enthusiast education initiatives.
The ARRL said on Thursday that it had experienced a cyberattack that interfered with its network and systems, including several of its hosted internet services.
In a Friday update, the ARRL confirmed that they do not collect social security numbers or save credit card information, which helped to ease members' fears regarding the security of their data.
Nonetheless, the group acknowledged that call signs, addresses, and other sensitive information are in its member database.
Although it isn't stated explicitly, reports indicate that email addresses are kept in the database and are needed to join the organization. It is unclear if the company was the victim of a cybersecurity issue or a ransomware attack.
Read Also: Unnamed Australian Healthcare Provider Hacked: National Cyber Security Coordinator Confirms
Critical Infrastructure Cyberattacks
The cyberattack comes just a few days after several critical infrastructures in the United States, most notably the healthcare sector, continued to be affected by cyberattacks.
The US health provider Ascension Health most recently disclosed that it noticed "unusual activity" that disrupted its clinical operations and called cybersecurity firm Mandiant to investigate a cyberattack.
According to Ascension Health's official statement, the organization has protocols to guarantee that patient care is delivered safely and with the least disruption possible and that staff members are specially trained to handle these circumstances.
The healthcare provider certified that the company was forced to suspend clinical operations and is evaluating the disruption's extent and consequences.
In addition, MedStar Health, a health network provider, recently disclosed that it experienced a significant data breach that may have compromised 183,709 patients' private information. This compromise made three employees' files and emails accessible to an unauthorized person.
According to MedStar Health's official announcement, notification letters were sent on May 3, 2024, to specific individuals whose personal information may have been exposed in connection with a data incident.
Norway of VPN-Rooted Cyberattacks
Norway, joining previous recommendations from the US and UK, recently recommended replacing SSLVPN/WebVPN products with safer alternatives due to their weaknesses in an attempt to alleviate cybersecurity concerns.
SSL/TLS protocols, SSL VPN, and WebVPN provide secure remote network access over the Internet. An "encryption tunnel" protects the connection between the VPN server and the user's device.
Related Article: Hong Kong's Privacy Watchdog Starts Data Leak Probe Urges to Notify 17,000 Affected Individuals
(Photo: Tech Times)
