Hey, everybody. It is Wednesday, November 29th. You're listening to the Mo news podcast. I'm Mo Shwaneu. This is the place where we bring you just the facts and reread all the news and read between the lines. So you don't have to do as you can probably tell. It's just me today. Jill is a bit under the weather. She plans to return tomorrow today is the 333rd day of the year 333. So those of you who are superstitious or believe in luck. Make a wish today with that. Let's get started with today's headlines. We're going to start with some ransomware. It's

the facts that have led hospitals in at least four states in the U.S. to have to divert patients to other ERs. What's behind the attacks and when the hospitals think they will get their systems back online. Today is the last day of this temporary truce between the Israelis and Hamas. The question right now is, will it be extended again? We'll tell you the latest. A memorial service for former First Lady Rosalind Carter took place on Tuesday. Bring together all living First Ladies and a couple presidents. While mortgage rates have climbed towards 8%. It has done little.

The cool housing prices will check in on them. It appears Americans broke another record on Cyber Monday, which is how much we spent online. We'll dive into those numbers in today's spot. Presidential son Hunter Biden says he will speak before the committee. Looking to impeach his father, but there's a catch. And we'll dive into the ongoing debate over what killed the dinosaurs 66 million years ago. There's a new study out that says it wasn't just an asteroid. And of course, I'll bring you on this day in history. A little banjo before you.

And the show. But let's start with our top story right now, a very concerning development, impacting a number of hospitals across the country. Medical facilities run by ardent health services and at least four states in the US have been diverting patients from their emerge zero rooms after that health care company was hit by a cyber ransomware attack over the weekend. The company says that patient care continues to be delivered safely and effectively in its hospitals, ERs and clinics, but it had to move some ER patients to other hospitals.

And reschedule some non urgent elective procedures out of an abundance of caution. Hospital chains diverting ER patients included Hillcrest health care systems in Oklahoma, the love lace health system in New Mexico and UT health in Texas. I'm told by some officials there. It could be weeks before the systems are fully up and running again.

Arden Health Services said cyber attackers took its network offline on Thanksgiving and effectively suspended user access to IT applications like software used to document patient care.

Now by yesterday afternoon, more than half of Arden's 25 ERs had resumed accepting patients again by ambulance or fully lifted what's called diverse status. Diverse status means hospitals have asked ambulances to take those in need of emergency care to other facilities nearby.

That's something we saw during COVID as facilities were overwhelmed in this case due to the fact that their computer systems were done. Now the company so far cannot confirm is not confirming the extent to which any compromised patient health or financial information was hacked into it has reported things to federal law enforcement and retained what they say is third party forensic and threat intelligence advisers who are working with cyber security specialist to restore IT functions within these hospitals.

There is no official timeline again. It could be days and in some cases it could be weeks now ransomware is a form of malware designed to encrypt files on a device rendering any files or systems that rely on them unusable.

Why it's called ransomware because the attackers demand ransom in exchange for decrypting your computer now hospitals have been attacked like this going back a decade. I was working on stories about this going back to 2016 at CBS news.

Oftentimes the criminal culprits are at Eastern Europe or Russia they demand payment often in Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency in order to unlock the hospital systems and let them use their computers again.

A recent global study by the cyber security firm Sophos found that nearly two thirds of health organizations were hit by ransomware attacks in just the past year going back to the spring.

Education is also a sector that is targeted in fact the most likely sector with about 80% of institutions being educational.

Now ultimately what these ransomware attackers do is steal data and say basically we're going to reveal personal information about your clients about your patients about your students unless you pay us off.

It's effectively a form of extortion here demanding payment so they don't make information stolen public to everyone.

The data can also be sold online on the black market last year 2022 25 US health car systems involving nearly 300 hospitals were hit by this type of attack this year alone it's been 36 systems involving 128 hospitals.

Now the FBI advises the hospitals not to pay the attackers because there's no guarantee that payment will fix the bug and it fuels more attacks that said these hospitals don't always say how they get the systems back online.

So the assumption is that in some cases they may pay off these hackers.

Oftentimes ransomware hackers will wait until a major holiday weekend like we saw over Thanksgiving as they hope fewer security employees will be working and they're able to break through.

Oftentimes malware like this is able to get in when someone inside the institution clicks on a link that they shouldn't be.

All right now to the latest in the Middle East that's where Hamas and Israel today are set for the final hostage for prisoner exchange after a six day temporary truce.

Now remember that a four day truce that was attended by two days and right now as of the time we record this late on Tuesday evening there is a negotiation about extending this even further.

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