Hackers have taken down the website of the Alaska in a malware attack, according to U.S. officials. A similar attack has previously hit the state's judicial system.
The Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement on May 18that its website was taken offline on May 17, and that an investigation was underway. The department did not say when it discovered the cyberattack, and Clinton Bennett, a spokesman for the department, said on May 19 that DHSS could not release such information for security reasons and to avoid “compromising” the investigation. Bennett gave the same answer when asked if a ransom was demanded by the attackers.
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Security experts are trying to determine whether personal or confidential information has been compromised or stolen, the Ministry added.
Online COVID-19 vaccination appointment scheduling and data dashboards are hosted by external sources, so the public can access them through covid19.alaska.gov.
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The Department said in its statement: “At this time, we have no information about who is behind the attack, why DHSS was targeted, whether this attack is related to other recent attacks, or how long the site may be down.”
The chief justice of the Alaska Supreme Court said this month that a cyberattack that took down the court's online services was first detected on April 29, stressing that no ransom was involved.
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The court system has come back online, announcing this week that the public can once again access an online court case and records system, as well as pay fines and fees online. The court system also said on May 18 that the ability to pay bail online has not yet been restored.
Information source: securityaffairs.co
