Ontario hospitals attacked by ransomware, patient and employee data exposed
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A ransomware attack has impacted five hospitals in southwestern Ontario, jeopardizing the data of patients, employees, and professional staff. TransForm, the non-profit IT systems provider established by the hospitals to oversee IT operations, supply chain, and accounts, acknowledges the cyber intrusion. They are currently ascertaining the exact data that has been compromised and commit to notifying all individuals affected as mandated by law.
Since the start of the cyberattacks, which occurred eight days ago, several computer systems at these hospitals have been rendered inoperative. Numerous surgeries and patient appointments have had to be deferred or rearranged at:
- Windsor Regional Hospital,
- Erie Shores HealthCare,
- Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare,
- Bluewater Health,
- Chatham-Kent Health Alliance.
No details are available about the nature of the attack nor the number of affected individuals.
TransForm has been working to reinstate the compromised systems and will update on their progress in the coming week. The affected hospitals are taking steps to notify patients directly if any upcoming appointments need alteration.
Meanwhile, they recommend that patients not in immediate need of emergency assistance should consult their primary healthcare provider or seek care at a nearby clinic.
Update - Data exfiltrated in the at the five hospitals has now been published online. Employees at Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA) are being offered free credit monitoring and identity theft protection.
About 1,400 employees at Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare are impacted by the ransomware attack.
TransForm, a non-profit organization established by five hospitals in the Erie St. Clair region to oversee information technology, supply chain, and accounts payable, confirmed that the cyberattack led to the theft of a database documenting 5.6 million patient visits, which translates to personal information pertaining to roughly 267,000 individuals.
TransForm is liaising with multiple law enforcement entities, which include local police units, the Ontario Provincial Police, Interpol, and the FBI. They have also intimated all pertinent regulatory agencies, including the Ontario Information and Privacy Commissioner, about the situation.
