A cyberattack that targeted and compromised the shared service provider TransForm has significantly affected the operations of five hospitals in Ontario, Canada.
This disruption has resulted in consequences for patient care that required them to reschedule medical appointments. TransForm is a not-for-profit organisation established by five hospitals in Erie St. Clair, Ontario, to supervise their IT, supply chain, and accounts payable operations.
Unfortunately, this service provider is experiencing an IT systems outage due to an alleged cyberattack. Moreover, the affected entity released a statement earlier this week to notify the public about the situation.
The notification letters assured everyone that the service provider has an investigation team currently assessing the situation to know the extent and cause of this incident.
TransForm confirmed that the hack will impact the five hospitals they provide their services to.
The five healthcare institutions which TransForm is in partnership with are the Windsor Regional Hospital, Hotel Dieu Grace, Erie Shores Healthcare, Hospice of Windsor-Essex, and Chatham-Kent Health Alliance.
A joint statement issued by these hospitals notifies patients about the consequences related to their scheduled appointments. Patients with existing arrangements will receive direct communication for rescheduling, while those without immediate emergency needs should refrain from visiting these affected hospitals.
However, the advisory also explained that these hospitals might not be able to reach all patients; hence, they ask for the patients’ understanding if they need to reschedule care on-site at our facilities.
The statement also urges individuals who do not need immediate medical attention to consider visiting their primary care provider or a local clinic to minimise the strain and lighten the workloads on hospitals as they work to address these issues and prioritise those in need of hospital care.
Given the uncertain nature and scope of the cyberattack, individuals who have previously received healthcare services at these institutions should exercise caution and treat any unsolicited communications with suspicion since the attackers could have potentially acquired credentials or information about the patients that they could use for their phishing campaigns.
TransForm has yet to disclose further details about the hack, such as its nature and compromised data.
