It took nearly two months, but hospitals in the region report charting systems affected by the recent criminal cyberattack started coming back online recently and continued this week.
Five hospitals – Chatham-Kent Health Alliance, Bluewater Health, Erie Shores HealthCare, Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare and Windsor Regional Hospital – plus their shared service provider, TransForm Shared Service Organization, were hit in late October by a ransomware attack.
Systems have been investigated and gradually brought back on line.
“As we continue to bring systems online, we are closely monitoring system integrity during network restoration at each institution,” according to a media release from the hospitals. “Work continues on an isolated plan to bring systems online for Bluewater Health due to the complexities of its system. In addition, we have put extensive security measures in place to safeguard our systems.”
According to the release, officials are “incredibly grateful for the patience you, our communities and staff, have provided us as we work to restore systems and normal operations.”
Some information was released online after the hospitals and TransForm refused to pay a ransom.
CKHA’s electronic health record was not affected by this incident. However, officials said the impacted shared drive that got hacked at Bluewater Health did contain some CKHA patient information.
Cybercriminal group Diaxin has claimed responsibility for the attack here in southwestern Ontario.
How they got into the system is something hospital officials refuse to comment on, as there is a multi-national police investigation underway.
