TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A major hospital system in northern Florida said on Friday it was redirecting some patients to emergency rooms and canceling surgeries following a security issue with information technology.
Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare said the problem began affecting its systems Thursday night and has forced the hospital to shut down its IT network.
It shows signs of a ransomware attack, but the hospital has yet to describe it as such, calling it an “IT security issue” instead. Victims at least initially refuse to confirm ransomware attacks.
Related: CommonSpirit Health confirms cyberattack extends into second week
A statement from the hospital said it had rescheduled appointments for non-urgent patients and had diverted some patients in the emergency room. It said it did not move patients currently in the hospital to other facilities.
All non-urgent procedures have been canceled and rescheduled, the statement said. It is unclear when the systems will be back online. The hospital said it was working with law enforcement.
According to the hospital’s website, which is based in Tallahassee, provides healthcare across 21 counties in northern Florida and southern Georgia.
Cybersecurity firm Emsisoft says there were 25 ransomware attacks involving hospitals or hospital systems last year.
Download Modern Healthcare’s app to stay informed when there’s breaking industry news.
