Hackers recently brought a Chicago children's hospital to its knees — an especially cruel attack that made life for staff a living nightmare., the hack took down its computer systems, which made accessing medical records and prescriptions extremely difficult. Staff are still trying to find a way to restore the system, which has since been
It's only the latest in a string of cyberattacks on health infrastructure — a terrifying consequence of unsecured computer systems that leave professionals and patients vulnerable to them."We recognize the concern and inconvenience the systems outage may cause our patient-families and community providers," a February 4by the Chicago hospital reads, "and are working diligently to resolve this matter as quickly and effectively as possible.
Fortunately, the hack isn't affecting emergency admissions, and pediatricians have found workarounds to keep in touch with specialists. But it's far from the first time hackers have set their sights on a hospital. In 2021, a group of them took down the computer system of an Illinois hospital for months. In June, the hospital actuallyA separate hack on Thanksgiving Day last year caused hospitals in New Jersey, New Mexico, and Oklahoma to randomly reroute ambulances.