Kentucky clinic that serves low-income patients pays $70K after ransomware attack

Louisville, Ky.-based Park DuValle Community Health Center paid hackers around $70,000 to unlock around 20,000 patients' medical records that have been inaccessible since June due to a ransomware attack, according to local news station WDRB.

The nonprofit that runs medical clinics for low-income and uninsured patients has been unable to access records or the appointment scheduling system since June 7. Physicians have been relying on patients' memories about treatments and medications to provide care.

Park DuValle confirmed that the hackers did not obtain patients' information, and that no data had left the organization, reports WDRB.

This is not the first time Park DuValle was hit with a ransomware attack. In April, the healthcare nonprofit lost access to its records for three weeks from a ransomware attack. Rather than pay the hackers, Park DuValle decided to rebuild its record system using data that had been backed up.

Park DuValle has the encryption keys to begin unlocking patient records. It expects to have full access to the data by Aug. 1, WDRB reports. Park DuValle estimates it has lost around $1 million from the ransomware attacks. Additionally, the organization is prepared to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in outside IT support.

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