The University of Mississippi Medical Center hit by ransomware attack, closes clinics statewide

A ransomware attack occurs when someone uses malicious software to lock a computer system and demands ransom in exchange for access. UMMC’s entire system was impacted, including its medical schools and hospital buildings in Jackson as well as 35 medical clinics around the state. 

More than 70,000 patients are treated annually and UMMC has at least 10,000 employees. It is the state’s only academic medical center. As a precaution, Woodward said the center took down all IT systems.

Any treatments that were not for life-saving interventions were cancelled, including some treatments for cancer patients.

“If they were scheduled for chemotherapy, that will be canceled,” said Associate Vice Chancellor Dr. Alan Jones. “That's one of the things that we'll have to develop a quick operational plan around so that we can safely provide that medication in a non disrupted manner.”

UMMC is still treating patients in its critical care unit and accepting patients for emergency treatment.

In a statement, the center said UMMC clinics statewide will be closed Friday February 20. Elective procedures will be cancelled and appointments rescheduled. However, “one exception is the dialysis clinic at the Jackson Medical Mall, which is operational and open for scheduled appointments.”

“If there's a patient in the critical care unit, and of course we have hundreds of patients in our critical care units, their vital signs are still being monitored, the bedside equipment is working,” said Woodward. “It is just not connecting into the EPIC program. We're on a manual process right now.”

That means doctors and health providers are documenting patient information with pen and paper. The center, which normally updates its electronic system every 6 hours, is also coordinating with federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the FBI.

“I would say at this point in the incident that it's too early for us to communicate what we do and don't know,” said Robert Eikhoff, Special Agent in Charge with the FBI field office in Jackson. “We are in the process of surging resources both locally and nationally into this incident to make sure that we are standing alongside UMMC and their vendors as we look to understand the extent of this attack .”

UMMC said it is in contact with those responsible for the breach, but has not confirmed their identity or where they are located. UMMC Vice-Chancellor Woodward said the center will conduct risk assessments before returning any IT systems to normal operations.

When asked by MPB News if the ransomware attack was unprecedented, she sighed. 

“My least favorite word in the universe, unprecedented,” Woodward said. “It's certainly a first for us.”