Florida Heart Associates recovering from ransomware hack

A massive data hack at a Southwest Florida heart treatment center is making it difficult for patients to get their medication and see a doctor.

Afternoon and evening stormswith highs in the low to mid90s.FLORIDA HEART ASSOCIATES YSSAIT’S *STILL RECOVERING...MONTHSAFTER HACKERS LOCKED DOWN THEIRSYSTEM...AND EXPOSED SENSITIVEDATA.AND WHILE THEY WORK TO GET BACKUP AND RUNNING...FOX 4 ISLEARNING THE HACK IS ALSO MAKINGIT DIFFICULT FOR PATIENTS TO GETTHE CARE THEY NEED.FOX 4’S ROCHELLE ALLEYNE HASMORE.((ALREADY SHOT))ACCORDING TO THE INFORMATIONTHEY REPORTED TO THE USDEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMANSERVICES MORE THAN 45 THOUSANDPEOPLE HAVE HAD THEIR TADAPOTENTIALLY EXPOSED AS A RESULTOF THIS HACK.

NOW WHILEHE TORGANIZATION ISN’T QUITE SURE IFPEOPLE’S INFORMATION IS BEINGUSED BY HACKERS...THEY DO SAYTHE HACK IS IMPACTING HOW THEYDO BUSINESS EVERY DAY.{PK}((Eugene Hoyt//FGCUCybersecurity Expert))((COVER??))"It’s a serious uptick rightnow."CYBERSECURITY EXPERTS SAYHACKING...IS ON THE RISE.((Eugene Hoyt//FGCUCybersecurity Expert))"So it’s not just the largegovernment agencies beinghacked, you’re having lolcagovernment’s being hacked andall the way down toindividuals."AND ONE OF THE MORE POPULARTYPES BEING USED...ISRANSOMWARE.((Eugene Hoyt//FGUCCybersecurity Expert))"Basically trying to get you toclick on links that look legitto gain access to yourcomputer.’ONCE THE HACKERS ARE IN...THEYLOCK DOWN YOUR SYSTEM...ANDDEMAND A RANSOM TO RELEASE IT.((Eugene Hoyt//FGCUCybersecurity Expe))rtRochelle: "Should you pay theranso."mEugene: "I highly say ’no.’"BUT THIS F-G-C-U CYBERSECURITYEXPERT ALSO SAYS SOMETIMESCOMPANIES HAVE TO PAY...OR RISKLOSING EVERYTHING.IT’S A STICKY SITUATION THAT THEC-E-O OF FLORIDA HEARTASSOCIATES TELLS FOX 4HE TCOMPANY FOUND THEMSELVES IN...INMA.YTHEY ULTIMATELY CHOSE *NOT TOPAY...AND WERE ABLE TO GETCONTROL BACK...BUT NOT BEFOREHACKERS TOOK DOWN THEIR PHONELINES...AND ESSENTIALLYDESTROYED THEIR ENTIRE SYSTEM.((Voice of BrittanyWallace//Related to FHAPatient))"You can’t get in to get anappointment."THE FAMILY OF AN F-H-A PATIENTSAYS THEY’VE BEEN TRYING TO GETTHEIR LOVED ONE SEEN BA Y DOCTORFOR *MONTHS.((Voice of BrittanyWallace//Related to FHAPatient))"No one ever called and then weget a letter in the mail acouple of weeks after thatstating that patientsinformation was or that theirsystem was hacked."AND THEY SAY THE HACK...CAME ATSCARY TIME.((Voice of BrittanyWallace//Related to FHAPatient))"One of his importantmedications that he didn’t haveany refills on was about to ruou"t.F-H-A TELLS FOX 4 THAT THEY’VELOST STAFF AS A RESULT OF THEHACK...AND ONLY *JUST GOT THEIRPHONES BACK ONLINE.IN ALL... THEY ESTIMATE THATTHEY’RE OPERATING AT ABOUT 50PERCENT RIGHT NOW.AND IN ORDER TO ACCOODMMATEFAMILIES...LIKE THE ONE YOU JUSTHEARD FROM...THEY’RE NOW TAKGINWALK-IN APPOINTMENTS.THAT FAMILY SAYS THAT’SSOMETHING THEY’LL BE TAKINGADVANTAGE OF...BUT THEY’RE ALSOENCOURAGING OTHER PATIENTS TOSHARE THEIR CONCERNS...((Voice of BttrianyWallace//Related to FHAPatient))"The squeaky wheel gets thegrease you just have to keepcalling and like you said,walk-in."((ALREADY SHOT))THE CEO TELLS ME THAT THEY’REHOPING TO BE BACK UP AND FULLYRUNNING BY LATE AUGUST...EARLYSEPTEMBER.

IN THE MEANTIME, IFYOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THEHACK THEY HAVE SET UP A CALLCENTER.

YOU CAN CALL THEM AT1-855-545-1951.IN CAPE CORAL, ROCHELLE ALLEYNE,FOX 4.SO WHAT CAN WE DO TO PREVENT AHK?ACWELL, THAT CYBERSECURITY EXPERTYOU JUST HEARD FROM INROCHELLE’S STORY SAYS WE SHOULDALL BE CHANGING OUR PASSWORDS*EVERY 90 DA.YSAND HE ENCOURAGES BUSINESSES ANDGOVERNMENT AGENCIES TO INVEST IN"ANTI-HACKING" SOFTWARE.THAT SAID...HE ALSO BELIEVESTHAT YOU HAVE TO PREPARE FOR THESCENARIO IN WHICH YOU DO GET"HACKED."AND IN THAT CASE...HE SAYSYOU’VE GOT TO MAKE SURE YOU