Ransomware attack shuts down Central Florida radiology imager sites
A ransomware attack shut down a medical diagnostic imaging firm in South Florida, shutting down several Central Florida locations, as well.
Earlier this month, a hacker accessed personal patient data at the Akumin site headquartered in Broward County, the firm said in a statement.
What is a ransomware attack?
A ransomware attack is a cyberattack designed to encrypt files on a device, rendering the data useless unless the owners of the data give a ransom to the hacker in exchange for a decryption or key, according to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
Healthcare facilities tend to be targets for ransomware attackers due to the sensitive information establishments have stored on vulnerable technologies, such as wireless devices that have access to the healthcare facilities, and network, according to CISA. These devices often can be viewed as backdoors into valuable information vaults.
Which Central Florida offices were affected?
The outpatient radiology and oncology service announced Tuesday it was temporarily shutting down services throughout the state including seven Central Florida locations.
• Orlando – 7960 Forest City Road and 1150 S. Semoran Boulevard
• Deltona – 1555 Saxon Boulevard
• Winter Haven – 7524 Cypress Gardens Boulevard
• Kissimmee – 1503 W. Oak Street and 819 E. Oak Street
• Mount Dora – 7524 Cypress Gardens Boulevard
Akumin has 50 locations throughout Florida and is available in several other states.
Can past records be accessed?
Regarding accessing past medical records, Akumin said certain imaging results may be unavailable.
“Our systems are being restored with differing timelines. Please check with the clinic you visited to learn more about the availability of prior studies. We will provide updates on restoration as appropriate,” it said in a statement.
Akumin also said it will alert patients once it can reschedule appointments, however, it has no timeline at this point.
Additionally, Akumin was found to have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy weeks after the cyberattack took place, according to a report by First Coast News, an NBC-affiliated station in Jacksonville.
