Ransomware Impacts
Cyberattack drives Johnson Memorial into EHR downtime procedures
SC Media, October 4, 2021
Johnson Memorial Health is currently operating under electronic health record downtime procedures, after a cyberattack struck its computer network on Oct. 2. The health system operates a number of primary care sites, specialist offices, and other facilities across three Indiana counties.
Ransomware attacks put availability of medical devices at risk: FDA cyber chief
Med Tech Dive, October 1, 2021
- Ransomware attacks on healthcare facility networks are causing medical device “outages” that put patient lives at risk.
- “You can’t have a safe and effective medical device if it’s unavailable” due to ransomware. “Nation states and organized crime — real threat actors — are causing harm, damaging the safety and effectiveness of medical devices.”
- Assessment comes as The Wall Street Journal reported the first alleged death in a hospital attributed to ransomware.
Infant Fatality Could Be First Recorded Ransomware Death
Info Security Magazine, October 1, 2021
A tragic case making its way through the courts in the US could prove to be the first recorded death due to ransomware.
Bad Actors Target Small Clinics With Healthcare Ransomware Attacks
Health IT Security, September 30, 2021
Cybercriminals continue to target small healthcare facilities with ransomware attacks, causing EHR downtime and care disruptions.
Indiana hospital suspends IT systems in response to ongoing cyberattack
SC Media, September 30, 2021
Late Wednesday night, Schneck Medical Center in Indiana was hit with a cyberattack that impacted operations, leading the security team to suspend access to all IT applications across the hospital network, according to a posting on the hospital’s website.
The latest posting shows the attack is causing intermittent issues with the phone systems. Meanwhile, patients are reporting access issues on the hospital’s social media page. The provider’s website remains online.
Ongoing ransomware, data theft, leaks pummel health care organizations
SC Media, September 28, 2021
Ransomware attacks and data theft are continuing to prove problematic for the health care sector, leading to a number of breach notices reported to the Department of Health and Human Services and dark web postings of stolen health information.
United Health Centers ransomware attack claimed by Vice Society
Bleeping Computer, September 24, 2021
California-based United Health Centers suffered a ransomware attack that reportedly disrupted all of their locations and resulted in patient data theft. United Health Centers is a health care provider in California with twenty-one community health centers servicing Fresno, Kings, and Tulare counties.
Coos health clinics shut down by ransomware attack
The Conway Daily Sun, September 23, 2021
A ransomware attack this week shut down Coos County Family Health Services, a main provider of health services in the Androscoggin Valley. Coos County Family Health CEO Ken Gordon said the attack affected essentially all of its systems — phone, computer and email.
CSA Offers Guidance on Preventing Ransomware in the Healthcare Cloud
Health IT Security, September 23, 2021
New guidance from the Cloud Security Alliance warns organizations about the prevalence of ransomware in the healthcare cloud and shows how to mitigate risk.
Ransomware and Targeted Attacks in the Healthcare Sector
Security Boulevard, September 23, 2021
A recent report published by SonicWall indicates that ransomware has increased by 151% in the first half of 2021, compared with the same time period in 2020. With a reported 304.7 million attempted ransomware attacks, and some of the major attacks reported so far in 2021, it’s clear that there are no signs of ransomware slowing down any time soon.
Report: Ransomware is a patient mortality risk, driven by COVID, third-party vendors
SC Media, September 22, 2021
A new report from the Ponemon Institute reinforces the patient safety risks posed by ransomware attacks: 22% of surveyed providers saw an increase in the rate of mortality in their health care organization after a cyberattack. The driving factors include the COVID-19 response and security gaps within the third-party vendor ecosystem.
Lawsuit: Health System Failed to Heed Ransomware Warnings
Gov Info Security, September 15, 2021
A proposed class action lawsuit filed this week against St. Joseph’s/Candler Health System in the wake of a recent ransomware breach affecting 1.4 million individuals alleges that the Georgia-based healthcare entity was “reckless” and “negligent” in safeguarding patients’ information.
Approved for Public Release; Distribution Unlimited. Public Release Case Number 21-xxxx.