Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Monday, Jun 30, 2025

When ransomware gets deadly: Attack brings down hospital system

When ransomware gets deadly: Attack brings down hospital system

A Marietta, Ohio-based hospital chain was recently forced to shut down IT systems and cancel surgeries, underscoring the deadly ramifications of ransomware.

In the wake of the attack, which took place on August 15, Memorial Health System was reduced to working with paper charts.

The attack resulted in disruptions to clinical and financial operations, Memorial said in an Aug. 18 statement.

Memorial Health System covers 325 providers representing 64 clinics, spread across southeastern Ohio and parts of West Virginia, according to its website.

In the wake of the attack, which took place on August 15, Memorial Health System was reduced to working with paper charts. 


While urgent and elective surgical cases were postponed – a serious consequence of the attack – emergency cases, which are the most critical, were not canceled, Jennifer Offenberger, associate vice president of service excellence at MHS, told FOX Business in an interview.

"There's a difference between urgent and emergent," she said – the latter referring to emergency cases. "Emergent is life-threatening…urgent is something that might need to be done but it has a little broader time scale to it."

But underscoring the gravity of the attack, the FBI, Homeland Security and other security organizations were brought in to restore information operations, according to Offenberger.

"We could not access our servers which contain all of our patient data," she said.

MHS has been negotiating with the attackers with assistance from the FBI, Homeland Security and insurance carriers, Offenberger said, adding that "This was ransomware. We have a negotiated solution."

One of the most distressing facts about ransomware is that it often requires a payment – sometimes millions of dollars – to restore operations. Offenberger did not disclose the details of the negotiations.

Memorial Health System President and CEO Scott Cantley said on Aug. 18 that "no known patient or employee personal or financial information has been compromised."

Lives at stake


"As we have witnessed over the last year, the attackers have no respect for human lives," Fleming Shi, CTO of Barracuda Networks, told FOX Business. "They are finding the most critical services and organizations to attack so they can get paid."

Time Eades, the CEO at vArmour, called ransomware attacks "an existential threat to hospitals and healthcare."

"A hospital’s reputation matters, and ransomware attacks can sow distrust with the public during a time where trust in public health is more important than ever," Eades said.

Hospitals are constant targets


A whopping 48% of hospital executives reported shutdowns in the last six months, according to a new study from Philips and CyberMDX.

The problem is also costly. Large hospitals report an average shutdown time of 6.2 hours at a cost of $21,500 per hour, while midsize hospitals averaged nearly 10 hours at more than double the cost, or $45,700 per hour, the report said.

And hospitals and health care systems continue to be vulnerable, despite the wave of attacks.

When asked about computer system vulnerabilities targeted by criminal gangs, "the majority of respondents said their hospitals were unprotected," the report said.

"Currently, ransomware groups are managing to breach hospitals and medical organizations easily using the same tried-and-tested methods, often targeting users with malicious emails, attachments and links," Ian Pratt, Global Head of Security for Personal Systems at HP, told Fox Business.

"Every technology decision a hospital makes is a security decision, and even the smallest vulnerability can compromise patient safety and privacy," Pratt said.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Qatar Airways Clears Backlog of Passengers Following Missile Threats
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
Israel Issues Ultimatum to Iran Over Potential Retaliation and Nuclear Facilities
Coinbase CEO Warns Bitcoin Could Supplant US Dollar Amid Mounting National Debt
Trump to Iran: Make a Deal — Sign or Die
Operation "Like a Lion": Israel Strikes Iran in Unprecedented Offensive
Israel Launches 'Operation Rising Lion' Targeting Iranian Nuclear and Military Sites
Israeli Forces Intercept Gaza-Bound Aid Vessel Carrying Greta Thunberg
IMF Warns of Severe Global Trade War Impacts on Emerging Markets
×