Hospital chain attack part of ongoing cybersecurity concerns

By KATHLEEN FOODY and KIMBERLEE KRUESI
Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) — Diverted ambulances, cancer treatment delayed and electronic health records offline are just some of ripple effects of an apparent cyberattack on a major nonprofit health system that disrupted operations throughout the U.S. While CommonSpirit Health confirmed it experienced an ”“IT security issue” earlier this week, the company has remained mum when pressed for more details about the scope of the attack. Despite the lingering questions, the incident underscores the growing concerns surrounding ransomware attacks on health care systems with patient care at stake. Brett Callow, a threat analyst with cybersecurity provider Emsisoft, says the incident could be “the most significant attack on the health care sector to date.”