One of the medical entities recently identified as a victim of a ransomware attack is Leon Medical Centers (LMC) in Florida. Founded in 1996, LMC expanded over the years into a comprehensive outpatient healthcare system that includes seven medical centers among other healthcare services. LMC offers a range of services to Medicare patients as well as classes and events, transportation services, and pharmacy services.
On December 22, Conti threat actors posted a claim to have successfully attacked them. Although no data or proof was offered, the attackers threatened to dump all the data in three days:
We are ready to publish the personal data of the company’s employees. And the best part: the records of more than 1 million of the company’s patients will be published. This data includes SSN, home addresses, health insurance numbers, medical diagnoses, treatment plans, and photographs of patients. The data from the company’s VIP patients folder will also be published.
That claim about 1 million patients sounded a bit surprising, and in a statement to DataBreaches.net yesterday, LMC confirmed that they were attacked, but refuted the attackers’ claim about 1 million patients:
Leon Medical Centers recently learned of a data security issue impacting its network. We immediately notified law enforcement, took impacted systems offline and launched an investigation into the nature and scope of the incident. Thanks to the professionalism and dedication of our staff and clinicians, our patients continued receiving high-quality medical care throughout this incident.
Although Leon Medical Centers investigation of this incident is ongoing, we can definitively confirm that the claim published on this cyber criminal’s website that more than one million patients’ information has been impacted is not accurate and grossly overstated.
Leon Medical Centers asks that those concerned direct all questions to [email protected]
Whatever the number may be, it is obviously concerning for employees and patients, and incident response will likely be costly and time-consuming for their personnel.
As it does in all cases like this, DataBreaches.net will continue to monitor dark web and clearnet leak sites for updates. And in a year when we have had much to be grateful for to our frontline heroes dealing with COVID-19, we should also be grateful to those who work tirelessly to restore systems and to keep healthcare services going despite criminal attacks that may paralyze or cripple systems. They, too, are heroes.