University Medical Center was still experiencing an IT outage Sunday caused by a ransomware attack, which was blamed for forcing the hospital to divert patients to other local hospitals and clinics since last Thursday.
The ransomware attack was first reported on Thursday morning , and according to UMC’s websites, it is still impacting hospital operations . According to UMC, staff are working around the clock and working with a third-party entity to return to normal operations; however, it does not have a time frame for when that might be.
With the attack four days into affecting the hospital, here is what we know.
What is a ransomware attack?
According to the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency , ransomware “is malware designed to encrypt files on a device, rendering any files and the systems that rely on them unusable.”
The people who deploy the malware then demand ransom in exchange for releasing the files and systems to the owners.
According to the CISA, ransomware attacks have been growing in frequency over the years among state, local and national government entities and critical infrastructure organizations.