Hello mates! Fancy a chat about a bit of a sticky wicket situation that happened not too long ago? Let me fill you in. If you remember, last year there was a bit of a hullabaloo in the healthcare sector in southwestern Ontario. Some dodgy characters launched a vile ransomware attack, which ended up with a lot of innocent folks’ sensitive data being taken for a joy ride!
Five hospitals were on the receiving end of this unfriendly visit from the dark side of the internet, causing a mass data breach that had everyone involved in a right old pickle. If you’re wondering who bore the brunt of this attack, well it was none other than Bluewater Health, Chatham-Kent Health Alliance, Erie Shores HealthCare, Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, and Windsor Regional Hospital – quite a crowd, you might say.
Then, equally unfortunately, the Tilbury District Family Health Team (TDFHT) also found itself in the soup. As the dust settled and the smoke cleared, they found their patients’ precious health information and data had taken quite a beating due to this cyberattack.
The culprit, interestingly, wasn’t even the TDFHT’s own specific system but the get-together technology scheme called TransForm Shared Service Organization. Bit like all getting in the same boat, really – All five hospitals and the TDFHT were using this mechanism for their technology needs, and it ended up being a bit of a disaster.
Keen to mitigate the fear and anxiety swelling up among their patients, the TDFHT chaps sent out a letter of explanation. They were quick to assure everyone that despite the nasty data heist, the electronic medical records managed to make a lucky escape from the digital villains. The silver lining in this otherwise grim cloud, you could say. Alas, they weren’t completely out of danger as the data that was cosying up on a shared drive was swiped away.
It’s a rather cautionary tale, with a stark reminder that hospitals and healthcare establishments – all of us, in fact – need to be on our toes when it comes to cybersecurity. No doubt, these cyber chaps are getting more creative and audacious by the day, and we need to keep a step ahead. It’s a bit like a good ol’ game of cricket – they bowl, we need to bat; they sledge, we need to stand our ground!
Long story short, we can’t just sit about sipping tea (or pint) expecting things to be hunky-dory. We need to up our game, stiffen up a lip and embrace difficult questions and solutions about data protection and cybersecurity in healthcare. Not as sexy as all that modern tech they’re always peddling, but I reckon it’s a bit more useful in the long run. And don’t forget, while these nasty things do happen, it doesn’t mean we’re on the back foot. We are resilient, aren’t we?
So, there you have it – a slightly less thrilling tale from the world of healthcare and cybersecurity than you might have hoped for. But the next time you find yourself waiting at the GP, perhaps you could consider the digital strings, fireworks and battles that are always sparking and raging behind those seemingly calm and quiet walls. It’s a brave new world, isn’t it?
by Parker Bytes
