KICKED WHILE DOWN

Cyberattack Targeted Department of Health and Human Services During Coronavirus Response, Says Report

The overnight attack reportedly appears to have been designed to slow down the federal agency’s computer systems during the coronavirus response.

The U.S. Health and Human Services Department reportedly suffered a cyberattack Sunday night that appears to have been designed to slow down the agency’s computer systems during America’s response to the novel coronavirus pandemic. Bloomberg News reports that it’s spoken to three people familiar with the alleged attack, who reportedly said the systems weren’t significantly slowed. They are also reported to have said it doesn’t seem as if the alleged hackers managed to take any data. The HHS hasn’t yet commented on the purported attack, but Bloomberg News reported that a Sunday night tweet from the National Security Council was related to the alleged suspicious activity. The NSC wrote: “Text message rumors of a national #quarantine are FAKE. There is no national lockdown. @CDCgov has and will continue to post the latest guidance.”