Texas healthcare provider pays hackers in ransomware attack

Mackenzie Garrity -

Rowlett, Texas-based Berry Family Services, which provides health services to people with disabilities, was hit with a ransomware attack July 10 that barred providers from accessing computer systems.

Officials, ultimately, decided to pay the undisclosed ransom to continue supporting local community-based services and living programs. Berry Family Services believes the cybercriminals were seeking to extort money rather than gain access to patients’ sensitive information. 

The ransomware attack also encrypted 1,751 patients’ information. Patient data that could have been exposed in the ransomware attack included names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, medical insurance information and related health information. 

Berry Family Services is unaware of any evidence that the information has been misused. However, the organization is offering affected patients one year of credit monitoring and identity theft protection services. The company has also taken steps to improve its cybersecurity so a similar incident does not happen again. 

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