In November 2021, Southern Ohio Medical Center diverted ambulances and canceled appointments after hackers gained access to the hospital’s computer systems.
The two-day cyberattack temporarily lowered the medium-sized nonprofit electronic medical records and disrupted units such as cardiovascular catherization, cancer care, outpatient surgeries and rehabilitation. In total, the hospital reported that the hackers breached the records of more than 15,000 individuals.
The attack is one example of a growing trend of hackers seeking to disrupt health care or compromise the medical and personal records of tens of millions of people each year. in search of profit. Since 2021, one gang has demanded and obtained over $100 million in ransom from hospitals and other businesses.