New cyberattack paralyzes hospitals and emergency services in several states

A cyber attack disrupted the computer systems of hospitals and clinics in several states. Health centers were even forced to close their emergency rooms.

According to reports, the ransomware or data hijacking attack was against facilities operated by Prospect Medical Holdings. The company has locations in California, Texas, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Pennsylvania.

“All Prospect Medical Holdings facilities are experiencing IT complications impacting some of our locations,” Eastern Connecticut Health Network (ECHN) reported via its website.

Computers stopped working correctly, leading several health centers to reroute patients. ECHN indicated that it had to stop offering services such as elective surgeries, gastroenterology procedures, and outpatient labs, among others.

“Upon learning of this, we took our systems offline to protect them and launched an investigation with the help of third-party cybersecurity specialists,” the company said in a statement Friday. “While our investigation continues, we are focused on addressing the pressing needs of our patients as we work diligently to return to normal operations as quickly as possible,” the company said in a statement released by AP.

John Riggi, the American Hospital Association’s national cybersecurity and risk advisor, said the recovery process from a cyberattack like the one experienced could take weeks, forcing healthcare facilities to work with legacy systems.

“These are life-threatening crimes that put at risk not only the safety of the patients within the hospital but also the safety of the entire community that depends on the availability of that emergency department to be there,” Riggi said.