Category: cybersecurity

The White House is considering a rule that would ban companies from paying hackers’ ransoms, but for hospitals and health systems, this rule could result in delays in care, Politico reported May 11. 

NextGen Healthcare, a provider of EHR software, said it experienced a data breach that compromised the information of 1 million patients. 

Buffalo, N.Y.-based Catholic Health notified long-term care patients that some of their protected health information may have been compromised due to a data breach at its consulting services vendor, Minimum Data Set Consultants.

Hospital and health system IT security chiefs told Becker’s the industry is dealing with increased pressure from ransomware attacks, budget constraints and personal liability concerns.

Ransomware attacks on hospitals and health systems doubled between 2016 and 2021, The Washington Post reported May 8. 

After Franklin, Ind.-based Johnson Memorial Health was hit by a Hive ransomware attack in October 2021, the hospital reverted to nondigital methods — including the use of pen and paper — to keep delivering care, NPR reported May 8.

Murfreesboro (Tenn.) Medical Clinic & SurgiCenter said all surgeries remain canceled due an ongoing cyberattack, but that it has been accepting patients at some of its walk-in clinics.

Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems is facing a lawsuit for a January data breach that compromised the protected health information of 1 million patients, Bloomberg Law reported May 4.  

The Texas Hospital Association named ActZero as its cybersecurity partner.

Russian ransomware gang Clop is suspected in a cyberattack targeting Santa Clara Family Health Plan, resulting in the breach of 276,993 members’ personal health information, Government Technology reported May 2.