
Kettering hospitals scramble after ransomware attack, thousands patient procedures canceled
A ransomware attack on Kettering Health, a major Ohio healthcare network, has severely disrupted operations across more than 120 facilities, including nine hospitals. Thousands of patient procedures—some critical or life-threatening—have been canceled due to a system-wide technology outage caused by unauthorized access to its network.
Key Points:
Scope of Outage: Elective procedures were paused, phones and call centers were down, and medical staff reverted to paper records. This left many patients without communication about appointments, surgeries, or prescriptions.
Impact on Patients: Patients have expressed frustration online, reporting missed treatments, lack of updates, and fears about safety and inadequate planning.
Official Response: Kettering stated it is working to mitigate the incident, evaluate procedures case by case, and contact patients directly. However, responses to public concerns have been slow or absent.
Security Insights: Experts, like Swimlane’s Joshua Roback, say the breach highlights the fragility of healthcare infrastructure, noting that cyberattacks directly threaten patient safety, not just data.
Scam Risks: In the aftermath, scammers have impersonated Kettering staff to steal patient info. Kettering has suspended all payment calls and warned patients to be cautious.
Ransomware Group Involved: The Interlock ransomware gang is believed to be behind the attack. They left a ransom note and threatened to leak stolen data unless paid. So far, Kettering is not listed on Interlock’s leak site, suggesting potential negotiations are ongoing.
Data Privacy: Kettering claims there’s no evidence MyChart or personal apps were compromised, but double extortion—a tactic used by Interlock—remains a serious threat.
Experts warn that such attacks are becoming more frequent and that cybersecurity must become integral to patient care systems, not treated as a side issue.
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