Frederick Health Medical Group in Maryland is working to address a ransomware attack that forced officials to shut down IT systems and announce the cancelation of several appointments, reports The Record, a news site by cybersecurity firm Recorded Future.
The organization announced service delays on Monday before confirming on Tuesday that it had proactively taken systems offline after detecting the incident. As of Wednesday, no further updates had been provided. The cyberattack led to the temporary closure of Frederick Health Village Laboratory, though other locations, including Frederick Health Hospital and multiple medical facilities, remained operational. "We are working closely with our third-party cybersecurity experts to bring our systems back online as quickly and safely as possible and in a way that prioritizes patient care. Our facilities remain open, and we continue to provide care for our patients using established back-up processes and other downtime procedures," the group said in a statement. The incident is one of the latest in a growing trend of ransomware attacks targeting healthcare providers. Maryland has recently emphasized cybersecurity concerns, with Governor Wes Moore appointing former US National Cyber Director Harry Coker as the state’s commerce secretary.
