A cyberattack has caused disruptions in clinical operations at Ascension, a major health care nonprofit with 140 hospitals and 40 senior living facilities across 19 states. The organization is taking measures to minimize the impact on patient care. Following unusual activity detected on some of its computer systems, Ascension initiated an investigation and notified authorities. Health care clients of Ascension are recommended to temporarily cut off network connections while the incident is being addressed.
Ascension is ensuring that patient care delivery remains safe and minimally impacted during this time. If any sensitive patient data was compromised in the hack, Ascension will notify those affected. It is not yet confirmed whether the incident involved ransomware or not. In recent years, health care providers in the US have suffered numerous ransomware attacks, which have disrupted patient care and cost millions, if not billions, of dollars.
In February, a ransomware attack on a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group caused billing disruptions at pharmacies across the US and threatened to put some health providers out of business. However, the Ascension spokesperson did not respond to follow-up questions regarding the nature of the cyberattack.
