JACKSON, Miss. — For the second consecutive day Friday, the University of Mississippi Medical Center kept its outpatient clinics shuttered and non-emergency surgeries postponed due to a cyber attack that infiltrated their computer networks.
Medical center administrators cautioned that the disruption may persist for several additional days while they assess the full scope of the cyber breach and work to bring back online the network infrastructure they deliberately shut down to prevent further damage.
Despite the clinic closures, hospital facilities and emergency departments continued normal operations, with patients receiving appropriate medical attention, according to Vice Chancellor LouAnn Woodward, who addressed reporters during Thursday’s press briefing. She explained that the cyber assault impacted numerous computer systems throughout the facility, including their digital patient records database.
“Some of us in the room have been here long enough that we remember taking care of patients with pen and paper,” she said.
Officials are currently investigating whether the attackers gained access to confidential patient data, Woodward indicated.
While confirming that the cyber criminals had made contact with university leadership, she declined to reveal what ransom demands were made. The medical center is coordinating response efforts with federal investigators.
During Thursday’s media briefing, FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff emphasized that the bureau’s primary focus centers on restoring the hospital’s technological capabilities to ensure uninterrupted patient treatment.
