Norton Healthcare still investigating extent, impact of cyberattack

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Norton Healthcare is still investigating the extent of a cyberattack that happened last week, impacting computer systems and forcing some surgeries to be rescheduled.

Renee Murphy, senior vice president and chief marketing and communications officer for Norton, provided an update on the situation Tuesday, which is creating hurdles for the company. She said they are also still investigating whether or not hackers were able to access patient and employee information.

"We are working around the clock right now to get answers," Murphy said.

Last week, Norton said it received a "suspicious message" on May 9 and took several systems offline as a precaution. Murphy said Tuesday that employees noticed suspicious activity and received a fax containing threats and demands.

"We were still the victim of a crime here," she said.

Murphy said Norton is in communication with the FBI amid its investigation into the attack, but it's still unclear whether or not patient information was accessed.

"If the investigation determines any personal investigation has been compromised, those potentially affected will be notified," she said.

Murphy added that Norton's systems were working when it noticed suspicious activity, but Norton chose to take systems down to be proactive and protect information.

"At no point did an external force take over or shut down our network," Murphy said. "All of our facilities remain open and patient care continues."

Norton is still working to restore all services. MyChart services were partially restored last Wednesday.

"Everyone on our team is working as quickly as they possibly can," Murphy said. "This is incredibly time-consuming, but (an) absolutely necessary and critical process going on."

She said it's safe for patients to do things on systems that are working, like paying bills and accessing medical records. But the attack forced some procedures to be rescheduled.

Doctors and nurses have also had to adjust until all systems are back online.

"They may have to utilize manual processes and paper, but they are working hard to ensure patients receive the care they need," Murphy said.

If patients have questions, Norton said they should contact their provider directly.