Hackers Just Attacked US Health Agency to Slow COVID-19 Response The US Department of Health and Human Services was reportedly hit with a cyberattack Sunday night, Bloomberg first reported, but there's no evidence the hackers were successful.
By Aaron Holmes Edited by Frances Dodds
This story originally appeared on Business Insider
As the US ramps up its response to the spread of COVID-19, the Health and Human Services Department was hit with a cyberattack, according to a new report from Bloomberg.
Citing three unnamed sources familiar with the matter, Bloomberg reports that the cyberattack aimed to slow down HHS computer systems Sunday night, but were unsuccessful in doing so. The attack reportedly attempted to flood HHS servers with millions of requests over the course of several hours.
Following the attempted intrusion, federal officials reportedly became aware that false information was being circulated. The false information campaigns were reportedly related to the hack, but no data was reportedly stolen from HHS systems.
The National Security Council tweeted Sunday night that there were false rumors circulating about a potential national quarantine, calling the rumors "#FAKE."
Text message rumors of a national #quarantine are FAKE. There is no national lockdown. @CDCgov has and will continue to post the latest guidance on #COVID19. #coronavirus
— NSC (@WHNSC) March 16, 2020
A spokesperson for HHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
