People Panicking in the Aftermath of CommonSpirit Health Parent Company Hack
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- By Steven
- Published: Oct 05, 2022
- Last Updated: Oct 05, 2022
CommonSpirit Health is the parent company for over 140 hospitals. It was the second largest nonprofit healthcare system in the U.S. in 2022 and the most prominent Catholic hospital chain in the U.S. as of 2019. There are allegations the entire hospital system is currently being held hostage by a ransomware attack. The ransomware attack is being talked about through social media platforms including TikTok.
How Did the Attack Occur?
The breach was a ransomware attack, from what insiders are saying. The hospitals are refusing to pay for the ransomware attack since that is their policy with any hacking situation.
Certain hospitals in Tennessee and Georgia have lost control of the information in their databases. This means that patients are waiting on surgeries and blood transfusions until the systems are back online, allowing the information to be accessed.
Hospitals in Omaha and Nebraska are also being affected. CommonSpirit’s spokeswoman, Taylor Miller, has stated that specific technology systems were taken offline as a “precautionary measure.”
What Information Was Viewed or Stolen?
The stolen information has not yet been disclosed. No one outside of CommonSpirit Health has a lot of information regarding the breach. We don’t know who is responsible for the hack, what they demand in return for the data, or why the hackers have decided to target this particular chain.
How Did CommonSpirit Health Admit to the Breach?
CommonSpirit Health has not admitted to any breach at the time of writing. They notified employees early in the morning on October 3, 2022, and are refusing comment to the media. Employees even began to reach out to influencers to shed light on the situation because the hospital was not alerting patients to the issue.
What Will Become of the Stolen Information?
Looking at the nature of the information within hospital databases (medical history, insurance information, social security numbers, names, addresses, immunization dates, medication specifics, allergies, etc.), there is practically no limit to what the hacker can do with the information. For all we know, hackers don’t have access to nearly as much as we fear, but it is still best to remain cautious and vigilant.
What Should Affected Parties Do in the Aftermath of the Breach?
In the aftermath of the breach, there are a few things you need to know. One: You can never be too careful with the plethora of data potentially in the hacker’s hands. Two: you can take steps to protect yourself and any family members affected by the breach. You can download software and programs onto devices like phones and computers that will alert you if your information is somewhere it’s not supposed to be. You can view your credit reports, keep an eye on any credit or debit cards associated with your insurance or the hospital, and alert anyone you know who was associated with the hospital. They can easily be caught off guard if they're unaware of the breach.
