Cybersecurity incident disrupts clinical operations and ascension report systems

TLDR:

• Ascension Health has reported a cybersecurity event affecting some of its technology networks.
• Clinical operations and access to some systems have been disrupted.

Ascension Health, a large nonprofit healthcare system, has disclosed that it is experiencing unusual activity on its technology networks believed to be a cybersecurity event. The organization has activated remediation processes and hired a third-party cybersecurity firm to assist in an investigation. While the scale of the disruptions and potential data compromise are still being assessed, Ascension Health has recommended that its business partners temporarily suspend connections to their environment. The system has notified appropriate authorities and will provide updates accordingly. Despite the disruptions, care teams have initiated procedures to ensure patient care delivery continues to be as minimally impacted as possible.

Full Article:

Ascension Health, a large nonprofit healthcare system, has disclosed that it is experiencing unusual activity on its technology networks believed to be a cybersecurity event. The organization has activated remediation processes and hired a third-party cybersecurity firm, Mandiant, to assist in an investigation.

The disruptions have affected clinical operations and access to some systems within the organization. While the scale of the interruptions and any potential data compromise are still being assessed, Ascension Health has taken a cautious approach by recommending that business partners temporarily suspend connections to their environment.

The Catholic health system runs 139 hospitals and 40 senior living facilities across the country, employing about 132,000 people. Despite the ongoing cybersecurity event, the care teams at Ascension Health have initiated procedures to ensure that patient care delivery remains safe and as minimally impacted as possible.

Ascension Health has notified the appropriate authorities about the cybersecurity event and has stated that it will provide further updates as more information becomes available. The system has also expressed its commitment to notifying and supporting individuals if any sensitive information is determined to have been affected, in accordance with relevant regulatory and legal guidelines.