UF Health has confirmed that a cyberattack was detected at its hospitals in Leesburg and The Villages on May 31.
Information technology teams are investigating at The Villages Regional Hospital and UF Health Leesburg Hospital after the hospitals' computer systems showed signs of unusual activity, an official said.
“We have since learned that the activity was related to a cybersecurity event,” Frank Faust, a spokesman for the University of Florida’s Health Central Florida, told the Orlando Sentinel. “With regard to protected information, at this time we do not believe any patient or personnel records have been compromised or shared.”
“These types of situations take time to fully resolve,” Faust said. “We are continuing to methodically investigate to delicately and precisely understand what happened, and are taking the appropriate actions to resolve any and all issues.”
UF Health did not say whether this event is a ransomware attack like those that recently crippled a U.S. oil pipeline and a major meat processor.
UF Health Central Florida officials say they immediately suspended access to most system platforms, including email, and started using paper documentation at hospitals and clinics.
The University of Florida itself and its other hospitals were not affected.
UF Health did not say whether this event is a ransomware attack like those that recently crippled a U.S. oil pipeline and a major meat processor.
The Villages, in Sumter County, is one of the country’s largest retirement communities, with a population of more than 130,000. Leesburg, with a population of about 22,000, is in Lake County about 15 miles southeast of The Villages.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
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