The University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center (UNM HSC) was hit by a cyberattack on 26 October that led to systems being shut down, appointments cancelled, ambulances diverted and medicine, nursing and pharmacy classes cancelled for two days. The university says end-user devices were affected but not core systems and servers, and that operations were restored by 28 October. A new ransomware group, BYOD, claims it had access to 36,000 systems and to patient, student and employee data. The claims are unverified and the FBI is involved in the investigation.

What it means: Attacks on hospitals have direct real-world consequences: when ambulances are sent elsewhere, patients reach treatment later. That is why ransomware groups target healthcare, betting that pressure to restore services will lead to payment. The university says it made no concessions and warns the public not to engage with the attackers, a sound line that discourages extortion. The gap between the attackers' claims and the organisation's statements is common; groups often exaggerate to increase pressure, so only the forensic investigation will show what was really taken. For Greek hospitals, clinics and universities, the lesson is to prepare for running without systems: paper procedures for emergencies, offline backups that have been tested in a restore, and a communication plan for patients and the national ambulance service. Separating medical systems from administrative and teaching networks also limits how far an attack spreads. The NIS2 directive now explicitly covers healthcare, with a duty to report serious incidents.

Read the original on UNM HSC Newsroom

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