It sounds like a nightmare: A targeted piece of malware infects computers and devices, temporarily shutting down critical technologies used in the healthcare community.

As the malware begins to become contained, a natural disaster hits the region. As people in need of help flood into medical centers, researchers discover additional concerns inside the malware’s code. This type of attack is known as a “blended threat” – a natural, accidental, or purposeful combination of a physical with a cyber incident.

Thankfully, this is not a real event but just one of the threat scenarios that the Health Information Sharing and Analysis Center (H-ISAC) will use in its 2018 Blended Threats Exercise Series being held this summer and fall in different locations around the country. This six-event series will bring together cyber security leaders from the healthcare industry to work through different scenarios and to learn how to handle a blended threat, understanding their complexity and impact potential.

These scenarios were developed based on a threat-informed, risk-based understanding of the current and emerging threat environment with considerations to recent incidents, such as major ransomware outbreaks.

“These exercises will stress participants to consider threat-informed, emerging security challenges that organizations should be proactively preparing for,” said Denise Anderson, President, H-ISAC. “Considering blended threats and the need to coordinate with multiple parts of the organization, these workshops should allow for candid, respectful insights, ideas and challenges from participants, to help all involved further develop their security programs and preparedness.”

Read entire Symantec blog post here https://www.symantec.com/blogs/expert-perspectives/surge-blended-attacks-stirs-new-cyber-worries