I don’t care WHO you are or what your cause it. Stop hacking hospitals in ways that interfere with or delay – in any way – patient care. Just stop it.
Gary Ridley reports that Anonymous is being blamed for one such interruption:
A cyber attack by the online “hacktivist” group Anonymous that was intended as a protest over the Flint water crisis created headaches for unwitting patients and workers at a Flint hospital, according to documents obtained by The Flint Journal.
Emails and records from Hurley Medical Center, obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, show a Jan. 15 cyber attack at the hospital caused problems for the hospital’s food service.
Records show that lunch service was delayed when generic trays were sent out and nurses were forced to supervise for special diets. Some patients did not receive their lunch trays until after 4 p.m.
Delays were also experienced in the hospital’s emergency room as staff members were unable to print labels, ID badges or patient discharges, according to hospital documents.
The delays did not prevent hospital staff from treating patients, officials said.
Read more on Mlive.
I know that after this attack was publicized, some people tweeted that Anonymous was not responsible for the attack, although they had issued a warning the day before. I do not know who is really responsible for any attacks on Hurley Medical Center, but I unequivocally condemn anyone and everyone who would attack a hospital – for any reason – when that hospital is trying to handle a public health emergency. There should be a very special place in Hell for those who do.