CommonSpirit Health, one of the nation’s largest health systems, confirmed it was hit by a ransomware attack that has interrupted access to electronic health records and delayed patient care in multiple regions.
The health system is still grappling with the cyberattack more than a week after it first disclosed it was dealing with an unspecified “IT security incident.” The hospital chain said it is working to bring systems back online as quickly as possible, Healthcare Dive reports.
“… we are providing relevant updates on the ongoing situation to our patients, employees, and caregivers,” CommonSpirit said in a Wednesday statement. Upon discovering the ransomware attack, “we took immediate steps to protect our systems, contain the incident, begin an investigation, and ensure continuity of care.”
A ransomware attack is when attackers gain access to and encrypt systems, demanding ransom from organizations in exchange for an encryption key.
The health system operates 142 hospitals and 2,200 care sites in 21 states. Read more.
