BlackCat hits Henry Schein with another cyber attack

The US healthcare giant Henry Schein has faced its second major cyberattack since October. The ransomware group BlackCat has claimed responsibility for the attacks.

It was first on October 15 that ALPHV (AKA Black Cat) announced it had targeted Henry Schein. The ransomware group said it was ready to negotiate with the healthcare giant over the stolen data. Henry Schein allegedly refused to negotiate and was targeted again on November 22.

As per Henry Schein’s announcement, the “threat actor from the previously disclosed cyber incident has claimed responsibility.” Additionally, the ransomware attack in November forced the company to shut down its e-commerce platform and some of its apps.

Henry Schein suffered two major ransomware attacks in less than two months

“Certain Henry Schein applications, including its e-commerce platform, are currently unavailable. The company continues to take orders using alternate means and continues to ship to its customers,” the firm said in the announcement.

While reassuring customers that it had identified the cause of the occurrence, Henry Schein’s e-commerce platform was restored for US customers. The company is also working to restore the platform for users in Canada and Europe. The reports note that the firm is receiving orders through alternative channels. Henry Schein is now operating in 32 countries, and its annual revenue is estimated at $12 billion.

Black Cat ransomware group said it had stolen 35TB of data from Henry Schein, and parts of it will be released daily. This is certainly bad news for Henry Schein’s customers. Black Cat also noted in a statement that despite negotiations with Henry Schein, “we have not received any indication of their willingness to prioritize the security of their clients, partners, and employees, let alone protect their own network.”

The threat actors added portions of Henry Schein’s internal payroll data, and shareholder folders will be released on the collections blog—more data will be released daily.

Ransomware groups are targeting firms more than ever. In late September, Microsoft revealed that Chinese hackers managed to steal over 60,000 US State Department emails. The attackers also compromised the staff working on Indo-Pacific diplomacy efforts.