Ransomware Attack Disrupts US Blood Donation Giant

New York Blood Center Faces Operational Challenges Following Ransomware Attack

The New York Blood Center (NYBC), a prominent nonprofit blood center within the United States, has reported experiencing significant service interruptions. These disruptions are a direct result of a recent ransomware attack.

Attack Detection and Initial Response

According to a statement released by NYBC on Wednesday, suspicious activity was identified within their IT infrastructure on January 26th. Subsequent investigation confirmed this activity constituted a ransomware incident.

Immediate action was undertaken to mitigate the threat. This included the strategic disconnection of certain systems from the network.

Impact on Blood Supply and Operations

NYBC serves over 200 hospitals in the northeastern U.S. with vital blood supplies. Furthermore, they provide transfusion-related medical services to more than 500 hospitals nationwide.

The incident is causing operational disruption. Donation center operations and scheduled blood drives may require rescheduling. Processing times for blood donations are currently expected to be extended.

While restoration efforts are underway, the organization has not yet established a definitive timeline for full system recovery.

Existing Blood Emergency

This cyberattack occurs amidst an already critical situation. Last week, NYBC declared a blood emergency due to a 30% decline in donations.

This decrease has severely impacted the regional blood supply. All blood types are urgently needed, with certain types currently at dangerously low levels.

Ongoing Communication and Prioritization

“We understand the critical nature of our services, and the health of our communities remains our top priority,” stated NYBC in their recent communication.

The blood center is maintaining close contact with its hospital partners. Workarounds are being implemented to restore services and fulfill outstanding orders.

Investigation and Data Security

The source of the cyberattack remains unknown at this time. No major ransomware group has claimed responsibility for the intrusion.

It is currently unclear if any patient data was compromised during the attack. The question of whether a ransom demand was issued to NYBC is also yet to be determined.

NYBC has not yet responded to inquiries from TechCrunch regarding these details.