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A May ransomware attack on Ascension, a U.S. healthcare giant with more than 140 hospitals and dozens of senior living facilities, has allowed hackers to steal personal and sensitive health information on an alarming 5.6 million patients, according to a new filing with Maine’s attorney general.
The cyberattack caused widespread disruption across its hospital system, resulting in harrowing lapses in healthcare, including delayed or lost lab results, and medication errors. The Black Basta gang was blamed for the attack, which saw them steal patients’ medical information, such as dates of service, lab tests, and procedure codes; payment information, like credit card and bank account numbers; and reams of personal information, including patient names, addresses, and dates of birth.
Moreover, the hackers also stole patients’ identity documents, including driving licenses and passports. This massive breach ranks as the third-largest healthcare-related breach of 2024, according to the Department of Health and Human Services’ list of data breach investigations.
The severity of this breach highlights the dire need for strengthened cybersecurity measures in the healthcare industry to prevent such attacks from occurring in the future.
Source: techcrunch.com
