A recent cyber attack temporarily disrupted operations at the Southern Oregon Veterinary Specialty Center (SOVSC) in Central Point, Oregon, causing the urgent care services to close and emergency room capabilities to be limited. The breach occurred on a Saturday when doctors tried to access patient files, only to encounter a pop-up message locking them out and demanding a ransom for access. In response to the threat, SOVSC swiftly took action, shutting down its networks to isolate the attackers and prevent further damage.
Following the breach, the center’s cybersecurity team was quickly engaged, and affected devices were identified and shut down. Approximately 30 devices were impacted, leading to their replacement in the days following the attack. Despite the disruption, the center had access to a protected external file storage system, which allowed them to retrieve patient files, though the recovery process caused significant delays and extended wait times for patients seeking urgent care.
SOVSC faced the challenging task of balancing patient care during the recovery period. While some patients had to be referred to other providers due to the disruption, the center prioritized higher-risk cases to minimize any impact on critical care. Craig Lassen, the center’s director, expressed frustration over the situation, noting the difficulty of not being able to provide timely care for the community animals and their owners. Despite this, the center is working diligently to fully recover from the breach and restore normal operations.
The attack highlights a growing trend of cyber threats targeting the medical field, an industry that has increasingly become a prime target for data breaches and ransomware attacks. Lassen emphasized that the incident served as a “stress test” for the center’s cybersecurity preparedness, which has been bolstered in recent years to fend off malicious actors. Fortunately, no client payment information was compromised, and the center is now focused on strengthening its cybersecurity measures to better protect against future incidents.
