As per reports, several British and American hospitals on Monday raised security concerns as they were hit by a ransomware cyberattack. Authorities told media sources that hospital staffers have resorted to back-up programs and physical records. 

The hospital chain in question is Universal Health Service Inc. it operates over 400 hospitals and several other clinical facilities. According to their website, all the hospitals run by them have gone offline. The hospital staff members are now relying on paper records and back-up programs. 

As per statements from Fortune 500 company, no patient data has been misused, copied, or accessed by the cyberattack. They further said that they are continuing to care for the safety of their patients. Fortune 500 company employs over 90,000 staff members. 

Southern California Hospitals Most Affected By The Cyberattack 

Some of the SoCal hospitals to be most affected are Corona Regional Medical Center, Inland Valley Medical l, Rancho Springs Medical, and Temecula Valley Hospital. 

No details have been revealed by the UHS as of yet. However, employees from the hospitals posted on Reddit saying that the cyberattack hit the hospital systems late on Sunday night. 

The AHA cybersecurity advisor, John Riggi, said that the cyberattack could be related to ransomware. He further mentioned that attacks of this kind have increased during the pandemic. 

Under this cyberattack, hackers infect a cyber system with difficult codes. They demand ransom to restore data and cyber services. 

Ransomware cyberattack made news early this month after the death of one critical patient who could not receive appropriate treatment due to a problem with the hospital server. 

UHS runs hospitals and clinics across California, Alaska, Washington, Florida, and California. Their clinic facilities also take care of people with substance abuse and psychiatric issues. 

Loss Of Computer Data Leads To Heavy Anxiety Among Health Caregivers

Although the UHS has restricted everyone from disclosing any details regarding the cyberattack. Anonymous sources told media sources that that loss of computer data means the loss of lab results, medication lists, imaging scans, and other valuable data. Moreover, telephonic disruption has further worsened the situation. 

It was also revealed that the cyberattack has increased the risk of miscommunication, which, in the worst-case scenario, could result in a fatality. 

Federal authorities have also expressed their fears of a possible disruption by cyberattack in the upcoming presidential elections. Tyler Technologies, a major software supplier to the county, local, and state governments was attacked just last week. 

In 2019, the total number of American hospitals to be affected by cyberattacks stands at 764. In total, all these healthcare facilities lost $9 billion last year to recover their computer data and systems. 

Last week, a hospital in Omaha, Nebraska, suffered from one similar cyberattack. Fortunately, the hospital has backed up its computer system. So, the hospital could provide appropriate care to its patients without any issues.