Ransomware and network attacks are crippling the city of Birmingham and now Ascension’s St. Vincent hospital system. Both are still working to get back to normal.Scott Crews told WVTM 13 that ransomware continues to be a top threat for many industries, and if organizations’ computer systems come back on in phases, that could mean they found backup data and also need more time to get back online.Crews is a cybersecurity instructor at Samford University.”Ransomware attacks have become very common,” Crews said.Crews spoke with WVTM 13 about the latest ransomware attack that Ascension St. Vincent’s Hospital is going through and why major companies and governments are the victims.“Those are the budgets that are able to pay. Individuals aren’t usually targeted, affected directly from ransomware to the level that businesses are,” Crews said.Individuals may never be the intended target, Crews says, but they may eventually see it impact them.”I think it’s really important for us as individuals and companies to be smart with our activities online,” Crews said.Ascension says some of its retail pharmacies in Alabama are not operational. They want patients to bring their prescription information so they can get their medicine filled at another pharmacy. The hospital is also transitioning to a manual system for patient documentation. Patients with upcoming surgery should bring a list of current medications and notes of their symptoms. The city of Birmingham is still recovering from its network disruption on March 6, 2024. “While this current budget process is unique, our focus will not waver from lifting up each neighborhood,” Kevin Moore, Birmingham’s chief financial officer, said in a city council meeting two months later.Moore said his office needs more time to work on the budget because their department’s computers took a hit. “They’ve done nine weeks of a manual process that has to be put back into our financial system. Then we have to continue to operate on a day to day using the manual system,” Moore said.Crews said it’s important all companies prioritize and invest in cybersecurity to prevent a ransomware attack.“That can be done through securing your data but also purchasing cybersecurity insurance so that we can transfer this risk,” Crews said.Ascension St. Vincent’s said its urgent care and emergency rooms are still open and operational. You can follow their cybersecurity updates on their website. Moore said right now, there are no signs of suspicious activity in its system, meanwhile, the city sent our newsroom a release about the FY 2025 budget.You can read it here.
Ransomware and network attacks are crippling the city of Birmingham and now Ascension’s St. Vincent hospital system. Both are still working to get back to normal.
Scott Crews told WVTM 13 that ransomware continues to be a top threat for many industries, and if organizations’ computer systems come back on in phases, that could mean they found backup data and also need more time to get back online.
Crews is a cybersecurity instructor at Samford University.
“Ransomware attacks have become very common,” Crews said.
Crews spoke with WVTM 13 about the latest ransomware attack that Ascension St. Vincent’s Hospital is going through and why major companies and governments are the victims.
“Those are the budgets that are able to pay. Individuals aren’t usually targeted, affected directly from ransomware to the level that businesses are,” Crews said.
Individuals may never be the intended target, Crews says, but they may eventually see it impact them.
“I think it’s really important for us as individuals and companies to be smart with our activities online,” Crews said.
Ascension says some of its retail pharmacies in Alabama are not operational. They want patients to bring their prescription information so they can get their medicine filled at another pharmacy. The hospital is also transitioning to a manual system for patient documentation. Patients with upcoming surgery should bring a list of current medications and notes of their symptoms.
The city of Birmingham is still recovering from its network disruption on March 6, 2024.
“While this current budget process is unique, our focus will not waver from lifting up each neighborhood,” Kevin Moore, Birmingham’s chief financial officer, said in a city council meeting two months later.
Moore said his office needs more time to work on the budget because their department’s computers took a hit.
“They’ve done nine weeks of a manual process that has to be put back into our financial system. Then we have to continue to operate on a day to day using the manual system,” Moore said.
Crews said it’s important all companies prioritize and invest in cybersecurity to prevent a ransomware attack.
“That can be done through securing your data but also purchasing cybersecurity insurance so that we can transfer this risk,” Crews said.
Ascension St. Vincent’s said its urgent care and emergency rooms are still open and operational. You can follow their cybersecurity updates on their website.
Moore said right now, there are no signs of suspicious activity in its system, meanwhile, the city sent our newsroom a release about the FY 2025 budget.
You can read it here.
