‘It's putting patients' lives in danger': Nurses say ransomware attack is stressing hospital operations

A ransomware attack on a major US hospital network that began three weeks ago is endangering patients’ health as nurses are forced to manually enter prescription information and work without electronic health records, nurses at two hospitals affected by the cyberattack told a news outlet. The cyberattack hit a nonprofit organization that oversees multiple hospitals across states. Ransomware attacks on health providers are common in the US, but this incident is raising concerns about patient safety. Nurses feel overwhelmed by the shift to paper records and worry about making mistakes with patient information. The hospital network is working to restore access to electronic health records. The Biden administration is developing cybersecurity requirements for hospitals, as challenges in the health sector are extensive. The nurses also mentioned that the reliance on paper records and manual operations is affecting hospital operations and causing delays in receiving lab results. Ransomware attacks on hospitals have significant impacts on patient care and strain healthcare resources. The healthcare sector is attractive to cybercriminals due to its valuable data and funding constraints that make hospitals willing to pay ransoms.