One of the IT technicians noticed the ransomware attack. A computer screen in the hospital’s emergency department was locked and the screen read “Ryuk.”
Wickenburg’s interim CIO Blue Beckham was unsure if the hackers wanted to restore access to the hospital’s system. So, he never contacted the cybercriminals and refused to pay the ransom. Mr. Beckham suggests the attack happened as the result of a phishing email.
Instead, Wickenburg’s IT team rebuilt the hospital’s computer systems from scratch. During this time, the hospital’s patient care was unaffected, Mr. Beckham told AZ Central. By Monday, July 1, the hospital’s computer systems were up and running as normal.
Since then, Wickenburg has been using its new system. Wickenburg has also upgraded its cybersecurity software.
More articles on cybersecurity:
U of Alabama warns medical providers of data breach on old computer
Patient data from EHR vendors found for sale online
Alabama medical center recovering from ransomware attack
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