UPDATE AUGUST 21, 2023: It’s been nearly three weeks since August 3 when Prospect Medical Holdings fell victim to a cyberattack. Although, according to the company, progress has been made in getting their computer systems back up, the progress has been slow. The company couldn’t say when operations will get back to normal, reports the Associated Press.
ORIGINAL AUGUST 7 ARTICLE:
Hospitals and other healthcare providers in five states were forced offline last week as the result of a cyberattack.
The ransomware attack impacted hospitals and outpatient clinics owned by Prospect Medical Holdings. The company is based in California and has facilities in Texas, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Pennsylvania. The breach happened in Los Angeles but affected facilities in several states.
The data security breach disrupted Prospect’s computer systems, forcing the shut down of some emergency rooms, as well as the diversion of ambulances. Elective surgeries, outpatient appointments, blood drives, and other services were also suspended, reports USA Today.
On Tuesday, Prospect Medical Holdings took its national computer system offline after it discovered the ransomware attack, reports NBC News.
“… we took our systems offline to protect them and launched an investigation with the help of third-party cybersecurity specialists,” Prospect Medical Holdings said in a statement. “While our investigation continues, we are focused on addressing the pressing needs of our patients as we work diligently to return to normal operations as quickly as possible.”
The FBI is also investigating the cyberattack, reports the Associated Press.
Some of the affected facilities include Manchester Memorial, Rockville General Hospital, Waterbury Hospital, Crozer-Chester Medical Center, Taylor Hospital, Delaware County Memorial Hospital, Springfield Hospital, Roger Williams Medical Center, and Our Lady of Fatima.
Ransomware attacks not only impact patient care and safety; they are also costly. The average cost of a healthcare data breach reached nearly $11 million in 2023 — up 53% from 2020. In May, UMass Memorial Health, one of the largest health systems in Massachusetts, agreed to pay $1.2 million to settle wage claims after a ransomware attack took down the provider’s payroll system.
Last year, nearly all organizations experienced a cyberattack.
In response to the steep rise in ransomware, the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) launched its Pre-Ransomware Notification Initiative designed to help organizations thwart ransomware attacks in the early stages of incidents as hackers often dwell in a victim’s environment before deploying the ransomware. Any organization or individual with information about early-stage ransomware activity is urged to contact CISA at [email protected].
