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On May 31, UF Health Central Florida has been impacted by a disclosed ransomware attack that compelled a couple of healthcare institutions to halt parts of their IT network.

UF Health Central Florida, formerly known as Central Florida Health and acquired by the University of Florida Health in January 2020, is an award-winning, not-for-profit health care system and the largest, most comprehensive provider of health care services in the region.

As stated by UF Health, both UF Health The Villages Hospital and UF Health Leesburg Hospital have been affected by the cyberattack averting access to computer systems and email.

In order to prevent further damage to their organization, the UF Health Central Florida shut down portions of their networks the minute they noticed abnormal activity involving their computer servers.

According to the organization, their information technology department is working closely with IT specialists on their Gainesville and Jacksonville campuses to look into the situation and reduce any possible threats.

As stated by Bleeping Computer, at the moment there is no evidence that UF Health in Gainesville or Jacksonville was impacted by the ransomware attack.

In an abundance of caution, we have suspended access to some of our Central Florida systems, including email, and have implemented our backup procedures as our teams continue to work to ensure that all data and networks are secure.

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Both hospitals continue to see patients and provide healthcare.

While organizations worldwide suffered at least one ransomware attack during the past years, it has lately received increased critical observation because of the recent incidents on essential infrastructure, healthcare institutions, and food providers.

In May, Colonial Pipeline, the largest fuel pipeline operator in the U.S. was impacted by a DarkSide ransomware attack that forced the company to take some systems offline, temporarily shut down pipeline operations and several IT systems.

At the beginning of this week, JBS Foods, the world’s largest meatpacking organization, was also forced to shut down production at several sites all over the world following a REvil ransomware cyberattack. The attack affected multiple JBS production facilities globally over the weekend, including those from the United States, Australia, and Canada.

The White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki stated that President Biden will talk over these ransomware attacks with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the June 16th Geneva summit since the majority of these ransomware campaigns are believed to be conducted from Russia.

It will be a topic of discussion in direct, one-on-one discussions — or direct discussions with President Putin and President Biden happening in just a couple of weeks.

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According to Reuters, the U.S. Department of Justice is now upgrading investigations of ransomware attacks to a similar priority as terrorism as a consequence of the Colonial Pipeline ransomware incident and mounting harm caused by threat actors.

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Antonia Din

PR & Video Content Manager

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As a Senior Content Writer and Video Content Creator specializing in cybersecurity, I leverage digital media to unravel and clarify complex cybersecurity concepts and emerging trends. With my extensive knowledge in the field, I create content that engages a diverse audience, from cybersecurity novices to experienced experts. My approach is to create a nexus of understanding, taking technical security topics and transforming them into accessible, relatable knowledge for anyone interested in strengthening their security posture.

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