Singing River: 895k Records Exposed in Ransomware Attack

Singing River Health System is notifying potential victims of a data breach that occurred due to a ransomware attack on August 16, 2023, in which the records of 895,204 individuals were stolen. The attack compromised sensitive patient and customer information, including social security numbers and medical information.

Based in Mississippi, Singing River is a medical care provider that operates hospitals, clinics, specialty centers, and hospice services. The company employs 4,000 and operates three hospitals: Pascagoula Hospital, Ocean Springs Hospital, and Gulfport Hospital. It claims to provide care for over 100,000 patients annually.

In a filing to the Maine Attorney General, Singing River discloses that it fell victim to the attack on August 19, 2023. However, the incident was only uncovered on December 18, 2023, roughly 4 months later. Working with investigators, the company identified unauthorized access within its network environment between August 16, 2023, and August 18, 2023.

In its notice, Singing River says it “promptly took steps to secure our systems, and with the assistance of third-party forensic specialists, conducted an investigation to confirm the nature and scope of the incident.” However, it also claims to be “unaware of any misuse of individual information and is providing this notice out of an abundance of caution.”

However, the potential information impacted is concerning, comprising sensitive information such as:

• Name
• Date of birth
• Address
• Social Security Number
• Medical information
• Health information

The Rhysida ransomware gang has since claimed responsibility for the attack. The gang is notorious for using similar tactics to target various healthcare providers, including children’s hospitals.

BleepingComputer reported that the gang has already leaked 80% of the data that they claim to have stolen. The entire repository consists of 420,766 files, totaling 754 GB in size.

In response, Singing Health is urging potential victims to be alert for signs of identity theft or fraud by reviewing account statements and monitoring free credit reports. It has also set up a hotline to field questions and concerns. Furthermore, they are offering 12 months of credit monitoring and identity restoration services through IDX for free.

This is only the latest in a long line of similar attacks on US healthcare providers and insurers. UnitedHealth Group lost $870 million in a single quarter after suffering multiple extortion demands, while a data breach at Kaiser Permanente impacted the information of 13.4 million customers.