A cyberattack at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) has disrupted operations at the largest academic health center in Jackson, Mississippi. The incident forced the shutdown of critical IT systems, closed clinics across the state and canceled numerous medical procedures. Hospital officials confirmed that multiple IT systems, including the electronic medical records platform, were down after a cyberattack at UMMC.
As a result, surgeries and procedures, as well as other medical appointments (imaging), were canceled.
All UMMC clinics across the state also closed, leaving providers unable to access patients’ digital medical records . Despite the extended outages, services for patients already inside UMMC hospitals are continuing under what administrators described as “ downtime procedures .” These procedures allow medical staff to provide care without relying on electronic systems .
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The University of Mississippi Medical Center employs more than 10,000 people, serves over 70,000 patients annually, and operates 35 clinics throughout Mississippi. Given its size and reach, the cyberattack on UMMC had an immediate and widespread impact.
University of Mississippi Medical Center: Emergency Response
After the cyberattack on UMMC, administrators said they activated contingency plans for such incidents.
Federal authorities are assisting in the investigation, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Officials revealed that the attackers have contacted them, adding that the medical center is working with authorities to determine next steps.
As a precaution, administrators shut down all computer systems. In a second statement yesterday, UMMC officials said: “UMMC clinics across the state will be closed again tomorrow, Friday, February 20, and procedures are canceled. Appointments will be rescheduled. One exception is the dialysis clinic at Jackson Medical Mall, which is operational and open for scheduled appointments.”
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Officials added that the disruption caused by the cyberattack is expected to be a multi-day event. Hospitals and emergency departments will remain open unless otherwise announced. In-person classes are continuing as normal, although online classes were canceled on February 20.
"We regret this disruption and are working to restore our systems and services as soon as possible," UMMC officials said.
Concerns about Patient Data
The cyberattack at the University of Mississippi Medical Center raises concerns about the potential exposure of sensitive patient information. Because UMMC is the largest hospital system in the state, the impact could extend far beyond Jackson.
James Phipps, a cybersecurity expert who works with medical facilities in the area, explained how incidents like the UMMC cyberattack can play out. “They attack your firewall, they look for any vulnerabilities. If you have an employee who opens an email, a spam email, they can get in that way. There are a number of different attack methods that hackers use,” Phipps said.
According to Phipps, cybercriminals are often less interested in clinical data like X-rays or blood test results and more in personally identifiable information tied to medical records. “They usually target their demographic data,” Phipps continued. “So they can have billing records, Social Security numbers. All of that they can use elsewhere to change their identity, steal your identity.”
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Hospitals and clinics often share patient information through referrals, meaning the impact of the cyberattack on UMMC could extend to interconnected systems.
As investigators work to determine what specific information was compromised (if any) in the cyberattack, patients are urged to monitor their financial accounts. Phipps recommended checking bank statements for unusual charges and reporting suspicious activity immediately.
