'Swatting' Becomes Latest Extortion Tactic in Ransomware Attacks

Threat actors are escalating extortion against U.S. healthcare providers by combining stolen patient records with 'swatting'—false emergency reports aimed at patients—to coerce hospitals into paying ransom demands. The report references incidents at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and Integris Health, notes law enforcement involvement, and highlights the use of patient-targeted intimidation to increase pressure on medical institutions.