Ascension, one of the largest private healthcare systems in the United States, has recently experienced a significant cybersecurity event, prompting the organization to take certain systems offline as a precaution. The incident was first detected on Wednesday, May 8, when unusual activity was observed on select technology network systems. Ascension, which operates 140 hospitals and 40 senior care facilities across 19 states and the District of Columbia, responded swiftly by initiating an investigation and beginning remediation efforts. This response included temporarily severing connections with business partners to prevent further intrusion.
The healthcare giant reported that the cyberattack had disrupted clinical operations, though the full impact and duration of the disruption are still under investigation. In response to the incident, Ascension has engaged the services of Mandiant, a leading incident response firm, to assist in addressing the breach. Furthermore, the organization has reported the incident to the relevant authorities as part of their comprehensive response strategy.
Amidst ongoing investigations, Ascension has advised all business partners to temporarily suspend their connections to the affected systems as a precautionary measure. The organization has committed to notifying partners when it is deemed safe to re-establish connections. This measure is part of a broader effort to contain the breach and prevent further data compromise.
The incident at Ascension occurs within a broader context of heightened cybersecurity threats against the healthcare sector. Just last month, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a warning about threat actors using social engineering tactics to target IT help desks in the healthcare and public health sectors. These tactics often involve tricking employees into enrolling new multi-factor authentication devices that are actually under the control of the attackers, thereby granting them access to corporate resources. This landscape underscores the critical need for robust cybersecurity measures and constant vigilance in the healthcare industry.
