September 29, 2020
Healthcare giant Universal Health Services experienced an information technology security breach on September 27 that shut down its IT systems.
UHS suspended user access to its IT applications applications related to its U.S. operations. In a statement posted to its website, the health system said it implemented extensive security protocols and “is working diligently with its security partners to restore its information technology operations as quickly as possible.”
Computer systems began to fail over the weekend, and some hospitals were forced to file patient information with pen and paper, sources told NBC News. The report called the breach potentially the largest medical cyberattack in U.S. history.
UHS President Marc Miller told The Wall Street Journal that the company took down systems used for medical records, laboratories and pharmacies across about 250 of its U.S. facilities over the weekend in an attempt to stop the spread of the malware attack. He said UHS is investigating reports of any patients who may have been at risk, but said that so far no patient or employee data appears to have been accessed.
