Trego County Lemke Memorial Hospital announced that it was targeted by a ransomware attack on May 6 .
See also: London Drugs: LockBit ransomware gang threatens to leak data
A press release from the hospital states that it began experiencing a computer network outage on May 6. In response, they activated their incident response plan and began investigating the issue with their IT team and third-party experts.
“Our investigation confirmed that Trego Hospital had been targeted by a sophisticated ransomware attack, which we immediately reported to the FBI,” the press release states. “From day one of this incident, our IT team and specialists have worked tirelessly to safely restore the affected systems, minimize any impact to our ability to serve patients , and implement additional security features to further secure our network.”
See also: The remote access tools responsible for most ransomware attacks
Officials at Trego County Lemke Memorial Hospital said they are still determining the full scope of the ransomware attack's potential impact on data stored on their network, but they have no reason to believe that hackers accessed or stole any personally identifiable information or protected health information from the network.
“Our IT team will use the lessons learned from this incident to further secure our network amid an ever-changing cybersecurity landscape,” the news release said. “This incident is also an important reminder for all of us to remain vigilant about cybersecurity ,especially amid ongoing and escalating threats from criminals who routinely target healthcare providers across the country.”
See also: Ransomware attack on Mexico's Pemex disrupts operations
What are the key strategies for preventing ransomware attacks?
Employee training is critical to preventing ransomware attacks, such as the one at Trego County Lemke Memorial Hospital. Employees should be aware of the latest threats and know how to recognize suspicious emails and links. Regular backups are essential. Data should be stored in a secure location, off the main network. Using security software and keeping it updated regularly is also important. Antivirus and antimalware programs should always be up-to-date with the latest virus signatures. In addition, using a firewall can help prevent unauthorized access to the network.
Source: ksn.com
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