2 Medical Practices Among Latest Ransomware Attack Victims

NEO Urology in Boardman, Ohio, reportedly paid a $75,000 ransom in bitcoin to unlock its data, according to local news outlet WFMJ.

As of Monday, the NEO Urology incident was not yet listed on the Department of Health and Human Services’ HIPAA Breach Reporting Tool website of major breaches impacting 500 or more individuals.

The ransomware attack on N.E.O. Urology was discovered on June 10 when the practice manager received a fax demanding a ransom to unlock its computer systems, which were encrypted by ransomware, WFMJ reports.

The urology practice contacted an IT firm, which used a third party to pay the ransom to hackers, according to the news report. N.E.O. Urology told police that the hackers “went so deep into their system that it took until Wednesday [June 12] to access their computer systems,” according to WFMJ.