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Is Your Data Secure? Subscribe to Outpatient Surgery Magazine - November 2017

Outpatient Surgery Magazine, providing current information on Surgical Services, Surgical Facility Administration, Outpatient Surgery News and Trends, OR Excellence and more.

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O ne day in mid-March, the staff of the Harrisburg (Pa.) Endoscopy and Surgery Center looked at their com- puters to find nothing but gibberish. Where there were once patient files — dates of birth, health histo- ries and Social Security num- bers — there were only scribbles and symbols. "It was like hieroglyphics," says Bill Rhodes, CST, CGA, the center's administra- tor. They'd been hacked. Cyberattacked. In this case, a "ran- somware attack," which is as sinis- ter as it sounds. Hackers hold your facility's data ransom, demanding money before releasing the infor- mation. The hack was soon fol- lowed by an email from the hack- ers, demanding a little less than $30,000 to return the patients' files, says Mr. Rhodes. The center waited a few days, trying to find other • HACK ATTACK Cyber criminals can hold your data ransom, disable your computer network or access your patients' private information and sell it online. 4 2 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7 Is Your Data Secure? Take these steps today to protect your facility from a cyberattack. Anna Merriman Associate Editor

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