Ascension , one of the largest private healthcare systems in the United States, has taken some systems offline due to a cyberattack or what it calls a “ incident cybersecurity .”
Ascension operates 140 hospitals and 40 senior care facilities in 19 states and the District of Columbia. It also employs 8,500 providers, has 35,000 affiliated providers and 134,000 associates.
“ On Wednesday, May 8, we detected unusual activity on select systems , which we now believe was due to a cybersecurity incident technology network ,” Ascension said of the cyberattack
The organization says it immediately took some of its systems offline to prevent the attack from spreading. It also immediately began investigation and remediation efforts. Business partners were also notified to sever connections to the organization's systems until the issue was addressed.
See also: University System of Georgia: Data breach due to MOVEit attacks
Clinical operations were interrupted
Ascension said the cyberattack also disrupted clinical operations. An investigation is underway to assess the impact and duration of the disruption.
The relevant authorities were notified of the cyberattack and Mandiant cybersecurity experts were hired to assist in the investigation and remediation process.
Healthcare: Protection from cyberattacks
One of the most effective protection strategies is staff training. Staff who are informed about the techniques used by attackers can recognize and, to some extent, avoid cyberattacks.
Implementing up-to-date security protocols is another important strategy. This includes regularly updating software and systems, installing the latest security patches, and implementing procedures that protect data.
See also: DocGo: Cyberattack led to data breach
Using advanced security, such as intrusion prevention systems and cyberattack detection and prevention tools, can help address threats before they cause damage.
Additionally, hospitals must implement access policies to control who has access to data . This may include the use of credentials, such as usernames and passwords, as well as implementing policies that require staff to change their passwords regularly .
They can also use external security services to monitor their networks for potential attacks. These services can include monitoring network traffic, detecting “anomalies,” and responding to potential threats.
See also: New Latrodectus malware attacks exploit Microsoft themes
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Finally, creating a response plan breach can be crucial. This plan should include threat analysis, attack identification, isolation of the compromised system , and restoration of systems to a secure state
Source: www.bleepingcomputer.com
