Smaller Medical Providers Get Burned by Ransomware

[InfoSec News <alerts () infosecnews org>]

https://www.wsj.com/articles/smaller-medical-providers-get-burned-by-ransomware-11570366801

By Adam Janofsky
The Wall Street Journal
October 6, 2019

Andy Fitzgerald, chief executive of a community health system in Wyoming, 
was visiting his son in Georgia last month when he received a distressing 
text message from his chief operating officer: Their company had been hit 
by a cyberattack.

Hackers had locked up sensitive patient information and medical devices at 
Campbell County Health and demanded a ransom.

“My initial thought was, ‘Oh crap,’” said Mr. Fitzgerald, who declined to 
say whether he paid the demand.

In the days after the attack, the health system, which operates a 90-bed 
community hospital and other facilities, was forced to cancel services 
including radiology, endocrinology and respiratory therapy. The 
organization transferred patients to hospitals as far away as South Dakota 
and Denver. Cash registers, email and fax were unavailable. Doctors had to 
resort to pen and paper to document medical conditions, and with 
prescription records inaccessible, patients were asked to bring medication 
bottles to visits.

[...]

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