Incident
incident:boston_children_s_hospital_network_attack
Network attack involving sustained denial-of-service traffic, phishing, mail-server access, spam, and disruption of public-facing systems at Boston Children’s Hospital.
Network attack involving sustained denial-of-service traffic, phishing, mail-server access, spam, and disruption of public-facing systems at Boston Children’s Hospital.
“members from Anonymous began a network attack on the Boston Children’s Hospital”
| Direction | Predicate | Other entity | Origin | EP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| outgoing | INVOLVES | distributed denial-of-service attack | Explicit | 14 |
| outgoing | INITIAL_ACCESS_VIA | phishing | Explicit | 14 |
| outgoing | COMPROMISES | mail server | Explicit | 14 |
| outgoing | INVOLVES | Harvard University | Explicit | 14 |
| outgoing | ATTRIBUTED_TO | Anonymous | Attributed | 14 |
| outgoing | ATTRIBUTED_TO | Martin Gottesfeld | Uncertain | 14 |
Boston Children’s Hospital network attack INVOLVES distributed denial-of-service attack
The hospital network attack involved a prolonged distributed denial-of-service attack that lasted approximately three weeks.
Explicit Confidence 99% · Jack Rhysider EP 14 Details
“After three weeks of a continuous distributed denial-of-service attack, the network traffic returned to normal.”
Boston Children’s Hospital network attack INITIAL_ACCESS_VIA phishing
Initial access to the hospital’s mail server was obtained after an employee clicked a phishing email.
Explicit Confidence 99% · Jack Rhysider EP 14 Details
“At some point an employee of the hospital clicked on a phishing e-mail and hackers were able to get into the hospital’s mail server.”
Boston Children’s Hospital network attack COMPROMISES mail server
The attackers gained access to and read email from the hospital’s mail server.
Explicit Confidence 99% · Jack Rhysider EP 14 Details
“hackers were able to get into the hospital’s mail server. They started reading e-mails”
Boston Children’s Hospital network attack INVOLVES Harvard University
The attack affected part of Harvard’s network because Harvard University shared the network with Boston Children’s Hospital.
Explicit Confidence 99% · Jack Rhysider EP 14 Details
“Harvard University is affiliated with Boston Children’s Hospital [00:15:00] and they shared the same network.”
Boston Children’s Hospital network attack ATTRIBUTED_TO Anonymous
The attack is attributed in the episode to Anonymous, which publicly claimed responsibility for the campaign and was described as conducting the attacks.
Attributed Confidence 94% · Jack Rhysider EP 14 Details
“the hospital was under a severe attack from Anonymous”
Boston Children’s Hospital network attack ATTRIBUTED_TO Martin Gottesfeld
Jack says the evidence suggests Martin Gottesfeld started the campaign and waged the attacks himself, while noting that the courts would decide the issue.
Uncertain Confidence 88% · Jack Rhysider EP 14 Details
“it seems like Martin was the person who started this campaign and waged the attacks himself. But the courts will ultimately decide that.”