Ransomware attack confirmed by McLaren Health System

LANSING — Recent outages and problems at McLaren Health Care facilities in Michigan were the result of a ransomware attack, and problems affecting patients could continue into August.

McLaren previously said a cyber attack caused the problems, but did not elaborate.

The healthcare provider confirmed the ransomware attack in a post on its website.

“The attack impacts its information technology systems at the organization’s 13 hospitals, Karmanos cancer centers, surgery centers and clinics,” the health system said in a statement. “The outage is expected to continue until the end of August while cyber forensic investigations are ongoing. The incident is contained, but access to certain McLaren systems remains limited.”

A ransomware attack typically locks down information technology systems, preventing access, and is often accompanied by a ransom demand in exchange for fixing the problem. McLaren has not released details of whether requests have been made.

Most McLaren services, including emergency rooms and scheduled appointments, have been and will continue to be available. Patients should continue as planned unless contacted by their provider, the health system said.

McLaren said if any patients’ personal information was compromised, it would notify people following state and federal guidelines, but did not provide further details.

“Our employees are absolutely inspiring. In extremely difficult circumstances, McLaren’s frontline teams and those in support roles across the state answered the call,” said McLaren Health Care President and CEO Phil Incarnati. “From doctors and nurses to dietitians , administrative assistants, patient advocates and all Team Members in between, our patients, their families and our communities will be forever grateful for your resilience and kindness.

“We kindly ask patients seeking care and visitors to our facilities for their continued patience. Our clinical and support teams are some of the best out there, but they are working in a very challenging environment as we recover from this attack. They are the ones on the front lines every day to make sure our communities get the care they need.

“Our experience has made it clear that cyberattacks against our healthcare infrastructure are an industry-wide problem, and it is no exaggeration to call healthcare cybercrime a national security threat.”

The Grand Blanc-based health system was affected at all 13 hospitals, surgery, infusion and imaging centers in Michigan, along with its network of 113,000 healthcare providers in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio.

It is the second time in a year that cybercriminals have attacked McLaren’s technology platforms. A ransomware attack also affected the healthcare system in August 2023.

The incident affected phones and computers, among other IT functions, and was discovered on August 5.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessell, in comments last week, said details from McLaren about the attack were scarce and called for stricter disclosure rules that could force companies to share data breaches sooner.

Contact Mike Ellis at [email protected] or 517-267-0415

Weidheiden

Ransomware attack confirmed by McLaren Health System

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