Hospital computer systems across the US have been affected by a cyberattack, prompting many states’ emergency departments to close on Thursday and rerouting ambulances.
On Friday, several primary healthcare facilities were still shuttered as security professionals tried to identify the scope of the issue and fix it.
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The “data security incident” started on Thursday at establishments run by Prospect Medical Holdings, a company with hospitals and clinics not just in California but also in Texas, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Pennsylvania.
The business released a statement saying, “Upon learning of this, we took our systems offline to protect them and launched an investigation with the assistance of third-party cybersecurity specialists.” As we carefully endeavor to resume normal operations as soon as possible, we are focused on attending to the urgent needs of our patients while our investigation is ongoing.
Data hacking and cyberattacks have increased substantially in recent years. The security of colleges, public school systems, hospitals, local governments, and federal organizations has been jeopardized in the US as a result of these attacks.
Cybercriminals typically look for security system flaws in ransomware attacks in order to obtain data like personal information. They then hold that data hostage and frequently threaten to release it or make it public if they are not paid a ransom by a specific deadline.
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According to the top US cybersecurity organization, Russian cybercriminals attacked private companies and public institutions in June, compromising many US agencies, including the Department of Energy.
Experts anticipate that ransomware payments have already reached $450 million globally in just the first half of 2023, a significant increase over 2022, when payments were predicted to total less than $500 million.
Medical facilities in numerous states saw turmoil on Thursday as a result of the attack. The emergency rooms at Manchester Memorial and Rockville General hospitals in Connecticut were closed for the majority of Thursday, and patients were transferred to other neighboring hospitals.
The FBI in Connecticut stated that it was working with “law enforcement partners and the victim entities” but was unable to provide any additional information due to an ongoing investigation.
