HHS Hit By Cyberattack to Disrupt Virus Actions

The U.S. government is warning that a 3/15 cyberattack against Health and Human Services’ computer systems was part of a disinformation campaign designed to disrupt the U.S. coronavirus response. The attack led to fake text messages being circulated that warn of a U.S.-wide quarantine being planned. The attack involved overloading HHS servers with millions of hits over several hours, Bloomberg News reports, adding that it had no significant effect in disabling the department’s computer systems.

Just before midnight on Sunday (3/15), the National Security Council tweeted a vague warning about “fake” text messages. Officials believe the messages, spread by text, email and social media, were related to the HHS cyberattack, a government official told Bloomberg. President Trump is not considering a nationwide quarantine, White House officials say.