Blimey! I’ve got a tale that might get your kettle boiling. Now, grab a cuppa and let’s have a natter about the recent digital shenanigans that gave the Ascension health system in the old US of A a bit of the bother.
Ascension, y’see, is a pretty hefty outfit. They’ve got their fingers in 140 hospital pies across 19 states. But this tale starts on a Wednesday, when their tech whizzes noticed something a bit rum on their computer network systems. A bit ‘unusual,’ you could say, and not in a good way.
Before you could say “Bob’s your uncle,” chaos ensued. Ambulances were diverted n’ all, patients’ medical tests were delayed, and the worst part, they couldn’t even access online patient records. Those poor buggers were forced to do everything old school – imagine, paper and everything!
The Ascension brass were a bit cagey about the details, preferring to keep their cards close to their chest, but you don’t need to be Sherlock Holmes to work out that they’d been targeted by a Bloomin’ ‘cyberattack.’
Now, if you’re not too familiar with the term, a cyberattack is a bit like the Artful Dodger picking your pocket, only in this case, it’s your digital information that’s being nicked by a bunch of faceless scoundrels hiding behind a computer screen. And mate, these attacks can hit anyone hard. Individuals, big businesses, even governments. No kidding!
Anyway, back to our story. This particular cyberattack sent shockwaves through the healthcare community both across the pond and closer to home. It wasn’t just about the tangible repercussions, such as ambulance diversions and delayed medical tests. The very thought of the patient records – sensitive n’ personal like – being tampered with or, even worse, stolen, was enough to give anyone the heebie-jeebies.
Take it from me, this situation was as bad as a wet weekend in Wigan. If it can happen to a big fish like Ascension, who’s seemingly got all his ducks in row? I reckon it’s a stark reminder for us all about the importance of minding our Ps & Qs when it comes to cyber security, especially those of us dabbling in healthcare.
Spotting these cyber attackers before they cause any bother is like looking for a needle in a haystack and once they’re in, it’s an uphill battle to boot them out. It’s much better to focus on keeping them out in the first place, wouldn’t you agree?
So, let’s all take a page out of Ascension’s book and be mindful of the fact that while this digital age has bought us countless conveniences, it also opens the door to some right nasty digital ne’er-do-wells. Here’s to keeping a vigilant eye on our cyber doorsteps. After all, as the saying goes, “forewarned is forearmed.”
And remember, it’s not about living in fear, or thinking that every click might lead to disaster. It’s about being sensible, being aware, and making sure we’re not inadvertently rolling out the red carpet for any uninvited digital guests. To put it simply, it’s about bloomin’ good cyber hygiene! Cheers to that, folks!
by Parker Bytes
