Yesterday, July 31, 2024, OneBlood, a not-for-profit blood center, in Orlando, Florida, announced through their website that they were hit by a ransomware attack affecting its software systems. The cyber attack greatly impacted their operations, disabling their system, and forcing the organization to operate at a reduced capacity and implement manual processes. “We have implemented manual processes and procedures to remain operational. Manual processes take significantly longer to perform and impacts inventory availability. In an effort to further manage the blood supply we have asked the more than 250 hospitals we serve to activate their critical blood shortage protocols and to remain in that status for the time being,” according to Susan Forbes, OneBlood’s Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications and Public Relations.

Furthermore, in response to the incident, Forbes said, “OneBlood takes the security of our network extremely seriously. Our team reacted quickly to assess our systems and began an investigation to confirm the full nature and scope of the event. Our comprehensive response efforts are ongoing, and we are working diligently to restore full functionality to our systems as expeditiously as possible.” The blood center emphasized that they are working tirelessly with cyber security specialists in analyzing the situation to understand the full extent of the incident, including its effects on data and working together in an investigation with federal, state, and local agencies.

From my perspective, this is another incident that proves that the healthcare industry is presently witnessing a rise in cyber attacks. During the second quarter of 2024, there was a 30% increase in global cyber attacks compared to the previous year, representing the largest spike in the last two years. Cyber criminals are focusing their efforts on healthcare institutions due to the vast quantities of personal and confidential data they manage, which can be extremely valuable. Furthermore, these institutions often lack the resources to invest in strong security technologies, leaving them susceptible to various cyber crimes. Healthcare institutions must reinforce their cyber security defenses to guard against these threats and ensure the protection and privacy of patient data. This situation highlights the significance of cyber security in vital healthcare services and the necessity for a swift community response to maintain the continuity of essential services such as blood donation.

#CyTech #CyberNews #CyberSecurity #CISO #CISOWorkplace #CyberAttack #OneBlood