Ransomware attack delays patient care at hospitals across the U.S.
CHI Memorial Hospital in Tennessee, some St. Luke’s hospitals in Texas and Virginia Mason Franciscan Health in Seattle all have announced they were affected.
One of the largest hospital chains in the U.S. was hit with a suspected ransomware cyberattack this week, leading to delayed surgeries, hold ups in patient care and rescheduled doctor appointments across the country. Ransomware attacks on health care chains are relatively common, and have been a frequent part of the U.S. medical system for more than two years.
However, a major report by the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and a survey of health care information technology professionals found that a ransomware attack on a hospital increases the stress on its capabilities in general, and leads to higher mortality rates there.