Scripps, a private nonprofit healthcare provider has been hit by a ransomware attack, which led to shutting some of its IT applications down for patients. These include the Scripps online portal and MyScripps app, but the general patient services are open. Scripps stopped receiving emergency patients and redirected them to other facilities. It’s now relying on offline methods and informed law enforcement.
Scripps Ransomware Attack
Based in California, US, Scripps is a nonprofit healthcare provider that’s having 5 hospitals and 2,600 affiliate physicians. Treating over half a million patients every year and having quarterly revenues in millions, Scripps is a lucrative target for hackers.
Scripps Health experienced an information technology security incident detected late on May 1, 2021. As a result of this, we suspended user access to our information technology applications related to operations at our health care facilities, including
— Scripps Health (@ScrippsHealth) May 2, 2021
Yesterday, Scripps disclosed an IT security incident that was detected late on May 1st, 2021. This forced them to restrict patients the access to some of its IT applications like MyScripps and Scripps.org. While these are offline, the ongoing patient care isn’t hindered, and been smoothly carried out, says Scripps.
Patients who have booked appointments in the last couple of days will have them rescheduled and will be informed by Scripps soon. Apart from the regular healthcare, emergency departments and HealthExpress locations are available for service. Scripps isn’t receiving highly emergency patients like from heart cases, and instead redirecting them to other hospitals.
It’s said to be carrying out daily operations by offline methods and trying to restore the affected data from backups. Scripps says that their staff and physicians are trained for facing this kind of situation, so they’re able to continue providing the essential services. Meanwhile, they have informed the appropriate government organizations and law enforcement about the incident.
Lately, ransomware groups are targeting healthcare institutions as they’re critical amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. And pressing them in these situations can most likely be successful.
