Excerpt from Bleeping Computer News Article, Published on Dec 08, 2023
Kentucky-based health system Norton Healthcare recently confirmed a data breach stemming from a ransomware attack in May, exposing the personal information of patients, employees, and dependents. This incident impacted the vast network of over 40 clinics and hospitals across Greater Louisville, Southern Indiana, and Kentucky.
The breach, discovered on May 9, 2023, prompted immediate collaboration with forensic security experts and federal law enforcement. An investigation revealed unauthorized access to network storage devices between May 7 and May 9, though the medical record system remained untouched.
Sensitive data compromised included names, contact details, Social Security numbers, birthdates, health information, and insurance information. Additionally, some individuals’ data, potentially employees, might have included financial account numbers, government IDs, and digital signatures.
Affected parties will receive two years of credit protection services and detailed breach notifications. The attack, claimed by the BlackCat/ALPHV gang, involved data theft of 4.7TB, as indicated by files leaked on the dark web.
Ongoing investigations suggest a link between ALPHV’s outage and law enforcement activity. Norton Healthcare joins a series of healthcare organizations targeted by ransomware, echoing nationwide advisories from government bodies like the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
Similar attacks hit healthcare provider Ardent Health Services, emphasizing the persistent threat ransomware poses to healthcare institutions nationwide. Such incidents underscore the urgent need for enhanced cybersecurity measures across the healthcare sector.
To delve deeper into this topic, please read the full article on Bleeping Computer