CyberSecurity news
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A cyberattack struck Covenant Health on Monday, May 26, 2025, disrupting operations at St. Joseph Hospitals in Bangor, Maine, and Nashua, New Hampshire, as well as St. Mary’s Health System and Community Clinics in Lewiston, Maine. The healthcare provider, a Catholic-based nonprofit serving New England and parts of Pennsylvania, was forced to shut down all data systems across its hospitals, clinics, and provider practices as a protective measure against the "cyber incident initiated by an outside group." This action has impacted access to electronic records, appointment scheduling, and internal communications, leading to connectivity issues throughout the organization.
The cyberattack has led to significant operational disruptions at the affected facilities. In both Bangor and Nashua, ambulance services have been diverted, and diagnostic scans have been redirected to other locations. Patients have reported difficulties in refilling prescriptions, and outpatient lab services at St. Joseph Hospital in Nashua are now only available on the main hospital campus with a physical order in hand. Staff are working under modified procedures to maintain patient care amidst the system outages. The hospitals have posted notices on their websites acknowledging the disruptions and assuring the public that teams are working to restore full services as quickly as possible.
Covenant Health spokesperson Karen Sullivan confirmed that cybersecurity experts have been engaged to investigate the breach and assist in restoring system functionality. While a timeline for full restoration has not been provided, the organization emphasizes that patient care remains a priority. Cybersecurity analysts are warning that medical institutions are increasingly vulnerable to cyberattacks due to the high value of patient data on illicit markets, stressing the urgent need for enhanced digital defenses across the healthcare sector. The incident is currently under investigation, and updates will be provided as more information becomes available.
References :
- DataBreaches.Net: Possible ransomware attack disrupts Maine and New Hampshire Covenant Health locations
- The Dysruption Hub: Cyberattack Disrupts Operations at St. Joseph Hospitals in Maine and New Hampshire
- WhatIs: Covenant Health cyberattack disrupts New England hospitals
Classification:
- HashTags: #Cyberattack #Healthcare #Ransomware
- Company: Covenant Health
- Target: St. Joseph Hospitals in Maine and New Hampshire, St. Mary’s Health System, Community Clinics in Lewiston, Maine
- Feature: System Shutdown
- Type: Ransomware
- Severity: Major