Healthcare Provider Ascension Reports Significant Cyber Incident

Ascension, one of the largest nonprofit healthcare providers in the U.S., has reported a significant cybersecurity event that disrupted its clinical operations. The incident was detected as unusual activity on select network systems, prompting immediate remedial actions by the organization.

Ascension became aware of the issue when its systems showed signs of unauthorized activities, suggesting a potential security breach. In response, Ascension has enlisted the expertise of Google LLC’s Mandiant to assist in the investigation and remediation processes. The healthcare provider has also notified relevant authorities and is taking steps to understand the extent of the data potentially affected by the breach.

The event led to some systems being taken offline to prevent further damage, a common practice in situations that appear to be ransomware attacks, although Ascension has not yet confirmed the nature of the attack. Ascension is also advising its business partners to temporarily suspend their connections to its network to safeguard against potential security risks.

Founded in 1999, Ascension operates a vast network of healthcare facilities, including a pharmacy system known as AscensionRx, and is recognized as the second-largest U.S. healthcare system by the number of hospitals as of 2019. This incident places Ascension among several healthcare providers recently targeted by cyberattacks, highlighting an ongoing vulnerability within the industry to such threats.

This incident echoes a recent similar event at UnitedHealth Group Inc., where a data breach in February led to significant operational disruptions. The attack on UnitedHealth was later attributed to the ALPHV/Blackcat ransomware gang, which gained access through stolen credentials. These recurring incidents underscore the critical need for robust cybersecurity measures across all healthcare providers.

Ascension is committed to conducting a thorough investigation of the incident. It promises to notify and support any individuals whose sensitive information may have been compromised, adhering to all regulatory and legal guidelines.

Source: SiliconANGLE

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