On top of that they are likely to have a host of sensitive data stored on their systems.Įarly on during the COVID-19 pandemic, promises were made by some ransomware gangs to leave hospitals alone. Because of their nature they offer a large attack surface. That means they use all kinds of equipment which could be vulnerable and they need to be easily accessible both on and offline. It is no secret that healthcare providers are attractive targets to ransomware gangs. And since the hospital emphasized that they managed to “keep all patient information safe and secure” this is a more likely scenario than an actual virus.

The stolen data will be used as extra leverage to convince the victim to pay, or else the data will be sold or published. Ransomware is just as crippling, but its primary goal is extortion, which is usually paired with data theft. Viruses are usually destructive in nature and almost never yield monetary gain to the cybercriminals. This is because the replication factor is a very important component in the definition of a virus. I put emphasis on “replicate” for a reason. While the exact nature of the cyberattack is unknown at this point and the hospital calls it a “virus”, it is more likely that it is dealing with a ransomware attack. By definition, a virus is a program or piece of code, that runs against your wish and can replicate itself. The hospital said that patients will be contacted by their provider if their appointments are impacted.Īccording to the initial statement, the hospital’s IT team identified the attack quickly and took immediate action to limit the impacts and keep all patient information safe and secure. Our doctors, nurses and other care providers continue to be here for you.” The vast majority of our partner clinics are also seeing patients as usual. As we continue to recover from a cyberattack, we want to assure everyone Idaho Falls Community Hospital and Mountain View Hospital remain open and continue to safely care for all our patients. “Our commitment to our patients’ well-being continues to remain our top priority.

The hospital is keeping the public updated through its website and Facebook page. The Idaho Falls Community Hospital fell victim to a cyberattack on Monday May 29, 2023. As a result, the hospital had to divert ambulances to other nearby hospitals and close some of its clinics.

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