As US hospitals cope with a Covid-19 surge, cyber threats loom

IT staff help clinical providers set up new computers at the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington, Vermont, on Nov 20, 2020. After the Oct 28 attack forced a shutdown of the hospital’s electronic medical records and other key systems, the IT department, with support from the Vermont National Guard’s cyber team, scanned thousands of computers for malware and replaced machines for hospital staff. — University of Vermont Health Network via AP

BURLINGTON, Vermont: By late morning on Oct 28, staff at the University of Vermont Medical Center noticed the hospital’s phone system wasn’t working.

Then the Internet went down, and the Burlington-based centre’s technical infrastructure with it. Employees lost access to databases, digital health records, scheduling systems and other online tools they rely on for patient care.