Ascension Healthcare has expressed confidence that it will completely recover from a devastating ransomware attack that struck its network earlier this month. The provider expects to resume normal operations by the end of the Memorial Day weekend.
In a data security incident notice posted on its website, Ascension said that on May 8, it detected unusual activity in portions of its network and quickly launched an investigation with assistance from cybersecurity company Mandiant to understand the nature and scope of the incident.
In a later update, the healthcare systems provider said it suffered a ransomware attack and notified relevant law enforcement and governing agencies, including the FBI, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the American Hospital Association (AHA).
“While our restoration work continues in earnest, our focus is on restoring systems as safely as possible. While we expect this process will take time to complete, we are making progress and systems are being restored in a coordinated manner at each of our care sites,” Ascension said.
In a recent update, an Ascension spokesperson said that the company has worked around the clock to recover from the ransomware attack and restore normal operations across its network.
“We are hopeful that after the weekend, our patients and clinicians will see progress across our points of care. Many of our vendors and partners have also started the process of reconnecting to our network and resuming services with Ascension, which should help to accelerate our overall recovery,” the spokesperson added.
Ascension added that its hospitals and facilities continue to provide patient care while the company regains its normal operations.
The Black Basta ransomware group recently claimed responsibility for the cyber attack on the company and listed it as a victim on its data leak site. Ascension is yet to disclose whether it negotiated with the hacker group or paid a ransom.
