Brockton Hospital Cybersecurity Incident Expected to Last Up to Two Weeks

Brockton Hospital in Massachusetts experienced a cybersecurity incident that led to the shutdown of its computer systems earlier this week. The incident was detected on Monday when officials identified suspicious activity on part of the network. As a precaution, the hospital took its systems offline and began using downtime procedures that rely on paper records.

Signature Healthcare, the hospital's parent company, issued a statement on Thursday indicating that the investigation into the incident is ongoing. The investigation involves coordination with cybersecurity experts as well as state and federal authorities.

The statement noted that the situation is not expected to be resolved in the next few days, with teams preparing for potential disruptions over the next two weeks.

Despite the incident, hospital officials reported that patient care continues at Brockton Hospital. Clinicians are documenting care manually, and internal systems for patient tracking and prescriptions remain offline. A spokesperson, Brooke Hynes, stated earlier this week that staff are trained for such scenarios and have adapted, although processes are taking longer.

Ambulances have been diverted to nearby hospitals, including South Shore Hospital and Boston Medical Center South, to reduce pressure on Brockton Hospital's emergency department. Walk-in emergency patients are still being treated, and inpatient care is ongoing.

The hospital has also experienced disruptions to certain services, such as a brief pause in chemotherapy infusions on Tuesday, which have since resumed, and an inability to fill new prescriptions at its retail pharmacies earlier in the week.

The FBI and Massachusetts State Police have been notified of the incident. Officials have not yet determined the nature of the event, including whether it involves ransomware or if any patient data was compromised. The hospital serves a community in Brockton, affecting local residents who rely on its emergency and inpatient services.

Recovery from such incidents can involve rebuilding systems or restoring from backups, according to cybersecurity practices. The extended timeline underscores the challenges in addressing network vulnerabilities in healthcare settings. No further details on the resolution process were provided in the statement.