Cybersecurity incident at Idaho's Weiser Memorial Hospital persists after month-long probe

Weiser Memorial Hospital (WMH), located in Weiser, Idaho, has been dealing with a cybersecurity incident affecting its computer systems for nearly a month. The issue was first acknowledged on September 5, when the hospital posted on Facebook that its systems were down, warning patients of potential service delays. Further updates were provided on September 6 and September 19, but the nature of the incident remained unclear.

Initially described as "network issues," WMH has since confirmed that it is investigating a cybersecurity breach. In a statement released on Wednesday, both to local news outlet KTVB and via their Facebook page, WMH disclosed the situation more explicitly.

"Weiser Memorial Hospital recently experienced a cybersecurity incident involving our computer systems," the statement read. "Immediately upon learning of this activity, WMH took action to secure our environment and launched an investigation to better understand what information was potentially impacted."

The hospital also revealed that a cyber actor group has claimed responsibility for the incident, alleging possession of WMH data. However, the hospital has yet to verify the group’s claims and is actively researching the extent of the breach. WMH assured the public that they would notify affected individuals if it is determined that sensitive data, such as patient or employee information, has been compromised.

Cybersecurity remains a top priority for WMH, which has vowed to enhance its security controls in response to this incident. “The protection of patient and employee information is a top priority to WMH, and this incident is being taken very seriously,” the hospital said. WMH has not provided a timeline for resolving the incident but assured the public that it would release further information as new developments emerge.