US Hospital Closes 2 Years after Cyberattack: Unprecedented Case
INCIDENT
St. Margaret’s Health, a hospital in Spring Valley, Ill., announced in May 2023 that it will have to close its doors due to the financial impact of a ransomware attack. That attack, which occurred in 2021, crippled the hospital’s computer systems and prevented financial claims from being submitted to insurance companies and government agencies for several months. This resulted in significant financial difficulties for the facility.
Experts believe this is the first time a hospital has had to close due to a cyberattack.
Hospital management said a combination of factors, including the Covid 19 pandemic, the cyberattack and a shortage of staff, had made it impossible to keep operations going.
Victims
Type of Malware
No Malware identified
Threat Source
No threat source identified