Anderson, S.C.-based AnMed has confirmed cybercriminals obtained information from the health system as part of the cybersecurity incident it first disclosed July 26.
In an Aug. 21 update, AnMed CEO William Kenley shared a video message with patients, employees and the community explaining what the health system knows, what may happen next and how people should respond to suspicious communications. AnMed said it is now conducting a thorough review to determine what information was affected and which individuals require notification.
The cybercriminals have made public statements describing what they claim to have taken, including an Aug. 11 post to AnMed’s hacked Facebook page claiming six terabytes of stolen data. AnMed said those statements are too general to determine what information was actually affected or whose data was involved, so it will not rely on them and will instead complete an independent review before drawing conclusions or notifying anyone.
AnMed warned that the people behind the attack may try to publish stolen information, contact patients or employees directly, or make additional public claims. The health system advised anyone who receives an unexpected communication referencing AnMed information not to respond, click links, open attachments, share personal information or make a payment, and to report any direct threats to law enforcement.
AnMed said phone service and read-and-write access to electronic health records have been restored, along with patient access to MyChart, which the health system restored Aug. 12, 17 days after the incident began. Teams continue working to bring additional systems back online. AnMed said it will notify affected individuals directly and provide resources once its review is complete, then evaluate lessons learned and adjust its systems, processes and safeguards.
AnMed is South Carolina’s largest independent, nonprofit health system, anchored by a 461-bed medical center in Anderson that serves patients across upstate South Carolina and northeast Georgia.
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