New Jersey health system says outages are likely result of cyber attack

Capital Health, a New Jersey-based health system, has reported a significant cyberware attack, causing widespread network outages. The health system, which operates hospitals and primary care offices across the state, identified the issue as a cybersecurity incident. The attack has led to substantial disruptions in their operations, affecting various medical services.

The impact of the cyber attack has been extensive, with outpatient radiology services being unavailable and appointments for neurophysiology and non-invasive cardiology testing being rescheduled. Surgeries are being prioritized based on urgency. Despite these challenges, Capital Health has kept all emergency rooms operational, ensuring that emergency care remains accessible.

This incident at Capital Health is indicative of a larger trend of cyber attacks targeting healthcare organizations in the U.S. Recently, similar attacks have been reported on Ardent Health Services and Prospect Medical Holdings, highlighting the growing vulnerability of healthcare systems to such threats. The full extent of data compromise in the Capital Health incident, including potential exposure of patient, employee, or financial information, is still under investigation.