The recent ransomware attack at Allied Physicians of Michiana is becoming increasingly common across the country as thieves and even nations are looking for ways to make easy money off businesses and individuals.
In fact, it’s becoming so common that all of us should assume our personal information is available to unscrupulous people and take precautions to protect ourselves, according to security experts.
“We’ve seen a steady increase in data breaches and data security incidents,” said Doug Swetnam, section chief of the Indiana attorney general’s data privacy and identity theft unit. “The number of cases has been going up about 30 percent each of the past four years.”
The thieves who attacked Allied Physicians in South Bend used a variety of ransomware known as SamSam. The 40-physician practice, which operates out of University Commons Medical Plaza across from University Park Mall in Mishawaka, became aware of the attack on May 17 and immediately shut down its network.
In a release issued on Monday, the company said it was able “to restore its data in a secure format without any significant disruption of services to its patients.” It also wouldn’t say “whether a ransom was paid or, if so, the amount,” and it indicated it is working to ensure its personal and protected information was not released.
“The security of our patients’ personal and protected health information is foremost in our mind,” Shery Roussarie, CEO of Allied Physicians said in the release. “While we make every effort to keep ahead of these types of cyberattacks, we have nevertheless taken additional steps to minimize any such future attack of the type experienced last week.”
Allied Physicians said it would provide additional information as necessary in the future, but couldn’t say more at this point in time since the investigation is ongoing.