Northern Light Health Ensures Patient Record Security Following Weekend Cyberattack

 

After some of Northern Light Health's computer servers were compromised over the weekend, electronic health records for patients have been restored online. As a result of detecting abnormalities on a few servers, the healthcare network took off some of its digital patient records Saturday. It is important to understand that Northern Light Health took patient records offline while investigating and implementing remedial measures even though none of the affected servers contained patient information. 

While Northern Light was conducting its investigation, it did not use digital patient records instead of paper records. As far as Northern Light is concerned, the data or information contained on those compromised servers was not shared by Northern Light. 

Healthcare providers were only able to access their patient records from limited computers while they were being treated this weekend. The health care system said no patient information was contained on any of the affected servers, but they have taken the systems offline for investigation and repair to take place during downtime procedures. 

There was no impact on patient care as a result of these downtime procedures, according to Northern Light Health. All ten of Northern Light Health's hospitals were open during the downtime and patients received the same level of care. A patient can still make appointments if he or she has been told otherwise. 

Even though electronic medical records are up and running, Northern Light Health noted that routine processes may be slower than usual if the electronic medical records are not yet fully functional. It was reassuring to the public that, despite the unsettling breach, patient records, which were stored on separate servers, were not damaged by the cyberattack. 

As a result of the breach, the health system took immediate action, suspending its records system and initiating an investigation into the matter immediately. It is becoming increasingly common for cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, including health systems, and Northern Light Health's response has become an example of crisis management as cyber threats continue to grow. 

There was an incident at Northern Light Health that was reported to the appropriate authorities, and Northern Light Health promises to keep all patients, staff, and communities informed throughout the investigation process. Due to the continued offline status of the organization's website, which has resulted in the organization being unable to communicate directly with its members, accessing accurate information has become challenging. 

It has been difficult for media outlets such as The Cyber Express to obtain additional information since the website has not been accessible. Aside from the cyberattack, rumours and misinformation have also been circulating after the cyberattack, which has caused havoc within the health system. Despite claims that their HVAC and security systems were vulnerable, Northern Light Health insisted that their operations would be uninterrupted as a result of the claims they refuted emphatically. 

The healthcare system has displayed resilience, demonstrating a commitment to patients, staff, and communities despite the cyber assault and remains united despite the cyber onslaught. It is alarming to discover that the threat posed by online hackers has grown out of control over the past couple of weekends at Northern Light Health. 

As the health system was battling the threat to its network, Air Force Lt. Gen. Marc Sasseville, the vice chair of the National Guard Bureau, was visiting Bangor Air National Guard Base in Maine for a discussion with service members about how to defend against cyber threats and how to contend with them. Northern Light Health is one of the many healthcare systems that place a great deal of value on this task. 

There has been a steady increase in ransomware attacks across all sectors of the critical infrastructure sector in the past few years -- hospitals and public health organizations have reported more incidents to the FBI in the 2022 Internet crime report than other critical infrastructure sectors.

Last week, FBI director Christopher Wray testified in front of a congressional committee that Chinese hackers were "positioning themselves on American infrastructure in preparation to wreak havoc with it." While the source of the threat to Northern Light is unknown, he warned that Chinese hackers are "positioning themselves to wreak havoc."