A 290-bed healthcare facility in upstate New York has been dealing with a malware attack that blocked the access to patients’ electronic medical records (EMRs) for three weeks, according to an article on the Cyberscoop website.

Samaritan Medical Center’s EMRs and payroll and accounting systems are now back online, but restoring the entire computer network will take more time.

Samaritan, which is the largest hospital in its region of northern New York, said it was still caring for patients but was forced to reschedule “a limited number of non-urgent patient procedures.”

As healthcare facilities are dealing with COVID-19, many are also dealing with a rise in cyber attacks, according to an article on the Security Boulevard website.

In early April, Interpol warned of increasing ransomware attacks targeting hospitals, knowing the facilities are preoccupied and vulnerable. 

Read the full Cyberscoop article.