GBMC Ransomware attack

Ransomware attack caused to delay scheduled procedures at Baltimore-area medical center

On Sunday, The Greater Baltimore Medical Center became another victim from U.S. hospital attacked by a ransomware incident amid a huge pandemic that has stretched health care IT systems thin.

The ransomware attack caused  Baltimore [IT] systems to go down, the 342-bed medical center. This will affect on some patient procedures scheduled for Monday. The hospital had a robust processes in place to  effective patient care and maintain safe.”

A GBMC spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment, it was unknown how many patient procedures were affected by the ransomware attack, or what type of malicious software was involved.

GMBC said no patient data had been “misused,” and that it had enlisted outside security experts and law enforcement to help respond to the incident.

Towson Maryland-based medical center is following a playbook that numerous hospitals across the country have exercised after having their computer systems hampered by ransomware. There have been more than 93 ransomware attacks on health care providers in 2020, compared to only 50 attacks in 2019, an analyst at threat intelligence company Recorded Future. Resource constraints and managing software updates are enduring challenges for the sector.

Cybercriminals have looked to extort hospitals overwhelmed with coronavirus patients. One criminal group known for multimillion-dollar ransom demands was behind a wave of attacks on U.S. hospital system last October. That threat has a public warning from federal officials, along with private briefings to health care executives urging them to raise their defenses.

Around that time, the University of Vermont Health Network suffered a cyberattack that forced one of the network’s hospitals to delay chemotherapy and mammogram appointments. For GMBC, the road to recovery is coming up. “Our investigation is in its early stages. We will provide more information as we can,” the medical center’s statement said.