What we know so far

Operations at Ascension hospitals and facilities were disrupted this week due to a suspected cyberattack, the health system said Wednesday.

The system, which operates 140 hospitals and dozens of senior care facilities in 19 states, including here in Michigan, reported that “clinical operations” have been paused since Wednesday, May 8. The announcement came after “unusual activity” was detected within the healthcare system, which it said “is due to a cybersecurity event.”

We know this.

The extent of the impact is not yet known

Officials say the health system responded immediately and began its “remediation efforts.” Still, it wasn’t entirely clear how much information might have been compromised, according to the announcement posted on Ascension’s website Wednesday.

The organization said it was working with an “outside expert” to investigate what happened and determine what information may have been affected.

“If we determine that sensitive information has been affected, we will notify and assist those individuals in accordance with all relevant regulatory and legal guidelines,” the system says.

It was initially not known whether personal patient data was obtained in the cyber attack.

Patient care disrupted

Some of Ascension’s systems were disrupted due to the cyberattack and subsequent “remediation efforts,” officials said. It was not explicitly stated which systems were affected or offline.

While officials said clinical operations had been impacted by the cyberattack, procedures were in place to “ensure that patient care continues to be delivered safely and with as little disruption as possible.” Ascension also emphasized that healthcare workers are trained to handle these situations.

To what extent and where patient care was affected was not yet entirely clear on Thursday morning.

Ascension operates several hospitals in the Detroit metropolitan area. In Detroit, Ascension St. John Hospital was already struggling with alleged staffing problems and a strike.

—> Emergency physicians strike at Ascension St. John Hospital over staffing issues

Cyber ​​attacks are a growing problem

Ascension did not say whether the cybersecurity problem was ransomware.

Ransomware, a type of cyberattack, is a growing problem in the United States. Ransomware groups infiltrate and interfere with a person’s, company’s, or institution’s computer system and demand a ransom for its return.

Ransomware attackers can threaten to publish or block access to important information and files. Ransomware attacks can target individuals or large organizations such as hospitals or government offices.

US hospitals and health systems have been a big target for ransomeware groups in recent years. These ransomware attacks can significantly impact healthcare facilities and have cost some systems millions of dollars.

In general, cyberattacks have increased across the board as our world, our information and our everyday tasks become increasingly digital. Several experts say cyberattacks have increased significantly worldwide in recent years, especially in 2023.

In an Apple-backed study, Professor Stuart Madnick found that “corporate data breaches in the US are currently at an all-time high.” A data breach occurs when someone (or people) accesses sensitive consumer information without authorization. This information may be shared or sold elsewhere.

“In the first nine months of 2023 alone, data breaches in the U.S. have already increased by nearly 20% compared to all of 2022 – and organizations around the world have faced similar trends,” the study said.

“These attacks are becoming increasingly serious as people now spend more of their lives online, which means companies, governments and other types of organizations are collecting more and more personal data – sometimes without the individual having a choice.” And because the “People’s most personal data can be exploited and sold for significant profit, they have become a growing target for cybercriminals.”

How to protect your data

Experts say more than 2,200 cyberattacks occur every day in the United States

To protect your data, the following steps are recommended:

1. Do not use the same PIN (password) for your mobile phone lock screen and for your bank.

2. If you can avoid it, do not leave your device’s Bluetooth on when in public spaces. Leaving your Bluetooth on puts you at risk of others stealing something.

3. Make sure your router and/or WiFi network are protected with a strong and unique password.

4. Never click unsubscribe on unwanted spam. If you do this, confirm your email address. Instead, mark the email as spam.

5. Never click on ads for random websites. Instead, visit the actual website by going there yourself.

6. Create better passwords that are at least 16 characters long.

7. Enable multi-factor authentication for your accounts to add an additional layer of security.

8. Make sure the operating systems on all your devices are kept up to date at all times.

What should you do if you get hacked?

1. First, immediately disconnect your device from the internet.

2. Have your device checked by a professional. (Be careful when calling tech support numbers you find online. Scammers may create authentic-looking websites that appear to be related to the manufacturer of your device.)

3. Change all your passwords.

4. Monitor your financial information closely. If necessary, contact your bank to change your account and card numbers or freeze your accounts.

Current examples of data breaches

–-> AT&T Users’ Social Security Numbers Leaked on the Dark Web: What You Should Know (April 2024)

—> What Corewell Health patients in Southeast Michigan need to know after another data breach (December 2023)

–-> Xfinity notifies its customers of data breaches related to software vulnerabilities (December 2023)

–-> Hackers access personal information of 1 million Michigan residents in nationwide data breach (November 2023)

–-> Flagstar Bank warns customers of serious data breach in the US (October 2023)

–-> Data breach at MGM Resorts expected to cost the casino giant $100 million (October 2023)