Beautiful Virgin Islands

Wednesday, Aug 27, 2025

Ransomware-hit hospitals in US turn away patients

Ransomware-hit hospitals in US turn away patients

Three hospitals in Alabama were forced to close their doors to all but the most critical new patients.

Three US hospitals have been forced to temporarily close their doors to "all but the most critical new patients" following a ransomware outbreak.

"A criminal is limiting our ability to use our computer systems in exchange for an as-yet unknown payment," said DCH Health System.

DCH operates the three affected hospitals in Alabama.

One cyber-security expert said the groups using ransomware were becoming increasingly well organised.

Computers at the DCH Regional Medical Center in Tuscaloosa, Fayette Medical Center and Northport Medical Center were infected with ransomware.

The incident was first reported on 1 October.

"We will continue to divert any new admissions, other than those that are critical, to other facilities," DCH said in its statement.

Local ambulances have been asked to take patients to other local hospitals instead, where possible.

Outpatients with appointments at any of the three hospitals were advised to call before attending them.

However, elective procedures and surgery already scheduled for 2 October were planned to go ahead.

It is not yet known what group or individual launched the ransomware.



Australian hospitals struck


Separately, seven hospitals in Australia have also reported disruptive ransomware infections.

"Some elective surgery and appointments have been cancelled," said Barwon Health, one hospital operator affected by the incident.

The Government of Victoria said the seven hospitals were located in Gippsland and south-west Victoria.

Multiple computer systems have had to be disconnected as a result, which has meant some patient record, booking and management services have been shut down.

This could affect efforts to contact patients and schedule appointments, the Government of Victoria said: "Where practical, hospitals are reverting to manual systems to maintain their services."

In cases where patient histories, charts, images and other information has been made unavailable, it may be necessary to reschedule some appointments, the authority added.

Daniel Andrews, Premier of Victoria, told local media it could take "weeks" before the problems were fixed.

The Victorian Government Cyber Incident Response Service has dealt with more than 600 cyber-attacks since July 2018.

"Unfortunately the groups breaking into individual computers at organisations are becoming rapidly better at obtaining access across networks, and then causing chaos with a goal to being paid," said UK-based cyber-security expert Kevin Beaumont.

"This problem isn't going to go away," he added.

He said organisations needed to review their security procedures and ensure that backups were in place - and also that such backups had been recently tested - so that data and systems could be restored in the event of a ransomware infection.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Spotify’s Strange Move: The Feature Nobody Asked For – Returns
Manhunt in Australia: Armed Anti-Government Suspect Kills Police Officers Sent to Arrest Him
China Launches World’s Most Powerful Neutrino Detector
How Beijing-Linked Networks Shape Elections in New York City
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
2 Australian Police Shot Dead In Encounter In Rural Victoria State
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
A new faith called Robotheism claims artificial intelligence isn’t just smart but actually God itself
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
Nurse who raped woman continued working for a year despite police alert
Drought forces closures of England’s canal routes, canceling boat holidays
Sweet tooth scents: food-inspired perfumes surge as weight-loss drugs suppress appetites
Experts warn Britain dangerously reliant on imported food
Family of Notting Hill Carnival murder victim call event unmanageable
Bunkers, Billions and Apocalypse: The Secret Compounds of Zuckerberg and the Tech Giants
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
×