Large Michigan healthcare provider confirms ransomware attack
One of the largest healthcare systems in Michigan confirmed that it is dealing with a ransomware attack after a notorious hacker gang boasted about the incident.
A spokesperson for McLaren HealthCare said the organization recently detected suspicious activity on its computer network and immediately began an investigation.
“Based on our investigation, we have determined that we experienced a ransomware event. We are investigating reports that some of our data may be available on the dark web and will notify individuals whose information was impacted, if any, as soon as possible,” a spokesperson said.
McLaren operates 13 hospitals across Michigan, as well as other medical services such as infusion centers, cancer centers, primary and specialty care offices and a clinical laboratory network. The company has more than 28,000 employees and also has a wholly owned medical malpractice insurance company.
Earlier this month, the company reported outages affecting billing and electronic health record systems. According to the Detroit Free Press, McLaren had to shut down the computer network at 14 different facilities — a situation that got so bad that employees had to communicate through their personal phones.
The spokesperson said McLaren has “retained leading global cybersecurity specialists to assist in our investigation, and we have been in touch with law enforcement. We have also taken measures to further strengthen our cybersecurity posture with a focus on securing our systems and limiting disruption to our patients and the communities we serve.”
The spokesperson added that systems “remain operational” but did not respond to requests for comment about whether billing and record systems had been restored to functionality. They did not say whether a ransom would be paid.
The Black Cat/AlphV ransomware gang took credit for the attack in a post on its leak site early on Friday morning.
The gang — which initially did not name the company before hours later adding McLaren’s name — claimed to have stolen 6 TB of data, allegedly including the personal data of millions as well as videos of the hospitals’ work.
Image: McLaren HealthCare
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