Study documents regional impact of hospital ransomware attacks

During a month-long ransomware attack on four hospitals in 2021, two neighboring hospital emergency departments experienced increased patient volumes, wait times and stroke patients, among other impacts, according to a study reported this month in JAMA Network Open.
 
“This important study provides empirical data that demonstrates increased emergency department strain and stroke code activations at hospitals adjacent to a hospital attacked by ransomware, potentially creating a risk to patient safety. The diversion of patients and ambulances carrying stroke, heart attack and trauma patients may create a disruption and delay of urgent care throughout an entire region during a ransomware attack, creating what I call the ‘ransomware blast radius.’ This report affirms guidance provided by the AHA that emergency management, cyber incident response and disaster recovery plans be integrated and include ransomware as a hazard that is planned for internally and on a regional basis, under what we refer to as the ‘5R concept’ — Regional Readiness, Response, Resiliency and Recovery.”