Cybersecurity

Businesses in the U.S. paid out about $1.2 billion in ransomware payments in 2021, a new record and triple the amount from 2020, CNBC reported.

OakBend Medical Center is providing more information to patients about a Sept. 1 data breach in which an unauthorized user had encrypted some of the hospital's computers and servers.

Des Moines, Iowa-based MercyOne reported being largely back online Nov. 1 after a ransomware attack against its parent company, Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health, disabled its EHR and IT systems in early October.

Raleigh, N.C.-based WakeMed is facing a patient-led lawsuit for installing a pixel tracking tool from Facebook on its website and patient portal that allegedly led to patient data being sent to the social media company.  

Recent ransomware attacks at Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health made national headlines and reinforced just how important cybersecurity is for CIOs.

The Health Sector Cybersecurity Coordination Center, part of HHS, is urging healthcare organizations to patch up software library OpenSSL's cybersecurity vulnerabilities as soon as updates are released Nov. 1. 

Brunswick, Ga.-based Ascension St. Vincent's Coastal Cardiology's legacy systems were encrypted by ransomware. 

A patient has filed a lawsuit against Advocate Aurora Health and Facebook parent company Meta over their use of "pixel" technology that may have ensnared protected health information.

Tift Regional Health System is notifying patients about an August data breach that may have compromised the protected health information of 500 patients. 

Chambersburg, Pa.-based Keystone Health, a primary care provider, is facing a class action lawsuit for allegedly failing to prevent a data breach that compromised the protected health information of 235,237 patients.