New Jersey's Largest Hospital System Pays Up In Ransomware Attack
Hackensack Meridian Health, a $6 billion non-profit health provider system based in Edison, N.J., operates 17 hospitals, nursing homes and outpatient centers, as well as psychiatric facility Carrier Clinic. The hospital system told media outlets on Friday that it was targeted by a cyberattack on Dec. 2, crippling its computer software systems for nearly five days. "Our network's primary clinical systems are operational, and our IT teams continue working diligently to bring all applications back online safely," according to a statement issued to media, Friday. "Based on our investigation to date, we have no indication that any patient or team-member information has been subject to unauthorized access or disclosure."
The attack affected the hospital's computer software systems, from scheduling and billing systems to labs and radiology, according to reports. Consequently, the ransomware attack forced the hospitals that were part of Hackensack Meridian Health system to reschedule around 100 non-emergency appointments and surgeries earlier in December. The hospital system did not clarify how much ransom it paid, or whether its data has since been recovered. It also did not give further indication about how systems were first infected and what data was affected.
Hackensack Meridian Health, a $6 billion non-profit health provider system based in Edison, N.J., operates 17 hospitals, nursing homes and outpatient centers, as well as psychiatric facility Carrier Clinic. The hospital system told media outlets on Friday that it was targeted by a cyberattack on Dec. 2, crippling its computer software systems for nearly five days. "Our network's primary clinical systems are operational, and our IT teams continue working diligently to bring all applications back online safely," according to a statement issued to media, Friday. "Based on our investigation to date, we have no indication that any patient or team-member information has been subject to unauthorized access or disclosure."
The attack affected the hospital's computer software systems, from scheduling and billing systems to labs and radiology, according to reports. Consequently, the ransomware attack forced the hospitals that were part of Hackensack Meridian Health system to reschedule around 100 non-emergency appointments and surgeries earlier in December. The hospital system did not clarify how much ransom it paid, or whether its data has since been recovered. It also did not give further indication about how systems were first infected and what data was affected.
