A large children's hospital in Chicago remains hobbled by a cyberattack that began more than a week ago, cutting doctors and nurses off from digital patient records and limiting parents' ability to communicate with their kids' caregivers. Officials at Lurie Children's Hospital said Thursday that they are still working with the FBI and other law enforcement but told reporters that a "known criminal threat actor" had accessed the hospital's network, the AP reports. The hospital shut down its own systems for phone, email, and medical records once the breach was discovered on Jan. 31, officials said.
"We take this matter very seriously and have been working closely around the clock with outside and internal experts and in collaboration with law enforcement, including the FBI," said Dr. Marcelo Malakooti, Lurie's chief medical officer. The situation at Lurie Children's Hospital had all the hallmarks of a ransomware attack, though hospital officials have not confirmed or denied the cause. Such extortion-style attacks are popular among ransomware gangs seeking financial gain by locking data, records, or other critical information, and then demanding money to release it back to the owner.
Lurie has directed patients to use a call center and said it can help people refill prescriptions, discuss appointments, and reach health care providers. But some parents have reported the center isn't keeping up with their needs, leaving families uncertain when they can get answers. Brett Callow, a threat analyst with cybersecurity firm Emsisoft, said it can take weeks for a hospital to restore normal operations after a cyberattack, prioritizing critical systems first.
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