A May ransomware attack on Ascension, a U.S. health care giant with more than 140 hospitals and dozens of senior living facilities, allowed hackers to attack 5.6 million patients, according to a new filing with the Maine attorney general. They were able to steal personal information and confidential medical information. The cyber attack caused widespread disruption across the hospital system, with some staff saying it resulted in dire medical consequences, including delayed or lost test results and medication errors.
The Black Busta gang was blamed for the attack, and the group stole patients' medical information, including clinic dates, lab tests, and procedure codes. Payment information, such as credit card numbers and bank account numbers. Large amounts of personal information such as patient name, address, and date of birth. The hackers also stole patient identification documents such as driver's licenses and passports. The Ascension hack is the third largest healthcare-related breach in 2024, according to the Department of Health and Human Services' list of data breach investigations.