The University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) restored full clinic operations on Monday, nine days after a ransomware attack disabled its electronic medical records system and knocked out large portions of its IT infrastructure.
“The University of Mississippi Medical Center’s clinics resumed normal operations today following a nine-day ordeal caused by a cyberattack,” the institution said in a statement confirming that phone lines had also returned to service and that staff were contacting patients to reschedule missed appointments.
What the Attack Disrupted
The ransomware forced UMMC to cancel outpatient procedures, ambulatory surgeries, and imaging appointments shortly after the breach was identified. Hospital services continued under downtime procedures, meaning clinical staff fell back on manual processes while IT teams worked to recover systems.
The medical center first disclosed the attack publicly on a Thursday afternoon. By Friday, it had restored access to patient records and announced that clinics would reopen the following Monday with extended hours and additional days to clear the backlog of affected patients.
“While all mission areas were impacted by the criminal intrusion, the patient care mission was disproportionately affected,” UMMC said. “Medical teams worked to ensure continuity of high-quality care” as systems came back online.
Attackers Made Contact
During a press conference held the same Thursday the attack became public, UMMC officials confirmed that communication with the attackers had already begun. LouAnn Woodward, dean of the school of medicine, stated: “The attackers have communicated to us and we are working with the authorities and specialists on next steps. We do not know how long this situation may last.”
More Read
No ransomware group has publicly claimed responsibility for the incident. Groups typically withhold such claims while negotiations are ongoing, using the threat of data publication to pressure victims into paying.
The FBI and the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) are assisting UMMC with its investigation.
Why UMMC Is a High-Stakes Target
UMMC is one of Mississippi’s largest employers, with more than 10,000 staff operating across seven hospitals, 35 clinics, and over 200 telehealth sites statewide. The institution holds a unique position in Mississippi’s healthcare system: it runs the state’s only organ and bone marrow transplant program, its only children’s hospital, its only Level I trauma center, and one of just two federally recognized Telehealth Centers of Excellence in the United States.
That concentration of irreplaceable services makes any extended operational disruption particularly consequential for patients across the state, many of whom have no comparable alternative facility.
Ransomware attacks on hospitals have grown more targeted in recent years, with attackers deliberately choosing institutions where operational pressure maximizes the likelihood of payment. Healthcare organizations hold sensitive records, operate on thin IT margins, and face immediate consequences when systems go down.
Whether UMMC paid or will pay a ransom has not been disclosed. The investigation remains active.
Photo by thisGUYshoots on Unsplash
This article is a curated summary based on third-party sources. Source: Read the original article
