CERT NZ has issued a new alert concerning a global increase in Ryuk ransomware attacks on healthcare systems, following an advisory from US authorities about an imminent cybercrime threat to US hospitals and healthcare providers.

A joint cybersecurity advisory was issued today by the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the FBI and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) about the threat, which reports say have hit four hospital groups so far this week, three in New York state and one in Oregon.