Cybersecurity

Seattle-based Virginia Mason Franciscan Health has begun the process of restoring its IT systems that were taken offline during the ransomware attack that impacted Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health hospitals across the country. 

Raleigh, N.C.-based WakeMed is notifying patients that some of their data may have been inadvertently sent to Facebook.

Six health systems have reported that some of their patient and employee data has been compromised due to a ransomware attack against third-party printing vendor Kaye-Smith.

Tacoma, Wash.-based MultiCare Health System said that some of its employees' personal data was scooped up in a ransomware attack against third-party printing vendor Kaye-Smith.

Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health said Cincinnati-based TriHealth and Centennial, Colo.-based Centura Health are not being affected by the ransomware attack that has plagued the hospital giant's IT systems.

While large companies, such as CommonSpirit, can dominate the news when they are victims of ransomware attacks, researchers from cybersecurity company NordLocker found that small companies make up 58.8 percent of ransomware attack victims.

Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health, the nation's second-largest nonprofit health system, said Oct. 12 that it was experiencing a ransomware attack that has led to EHR shutdowns and canceled appointments and procedures at its hospitals across the country.

After more than a week of IT outages at CommonSpirit Health hospitals across the country, the Chicago-based system confirmed it has fallen victim to a ransomware attack.

Despite EHR outages, canceled appointments and delayed surgeries at its hospitals across the nation, Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health has been slow to release details on the massive IT security incident.

A new study from cybersecurity company Trend Micro Incorporated found that 25 percent of healthcare organizations hit by ransomware attacks were forced to halt operations completely.