Hollister, Calif.-based Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital was targeted by a social engineering hoax.
Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital received information that an outside organization had gained access to its information systems and was demanding a ransom to avoid leaking protected health information, according to a March 6 breach notification from the hospital.
After working with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies as well as a hospital cybersecurity partner, Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital determined that the emailed ransom notes were part of a social engineering hoax and that there was no evidence of a ransomware attack.
There was also no evidence that the hospital’s information systems were compromised.
The incident comes after the American Hospital Association and the FBI received multiple reports of hospitals and health systems receiving data extortion letters sent through the U.S. Postal Service and originating domestically.
