LockBit ransomware group added Suncoast Community Health Centers (CHC) Inc. to its victim list. They exfiltrated SSNs, passports, financial records, insurance data, and patient information among other details through the Suncoast CHC cyberattack. There were no alerts on the website of the healthcare service provider indicating signs of a cyberattack on Suncoast.
Suncoast Community Health Centers (SCHC) Inc. is based in Florida, United States. It is a non-profit community health center established in 1977. The healthcare also provides services to patients at discounted rates being a non-profit organization.
Suncoast CHC Cyberattack by LockBit Ransomware Group
LockBit placed a deadline of 6 October 2023 for ransom payment on the Suncoast CHC cyberattack threat on its dark web portal. Threat Intelligence platform Falcon Feeds tweeted about the LockBit ransomware attack on Suncoast Community Health Centers Inc.
LockBit threatened that all the available data with them through the Suncoast ransomware attack would be published on the dark web if the ransom was not paid. The threat was posted on October 4 and was updated a day later suggesting that the healthcare did not respond to the direct demands by the cybercriminal group.
The website of Suncoast was accessible at the time of writing. The Cyber Express emailed the healthcare provider to comment on the Suncoast data breach reports. We will update this report after receiving a response.
Suncoast Community Health Centers recently announced adapting to a cloud-based storage for Electronic Health Records (EHR). EHRs contain almost all patient medical history including demographics, medications, and health details.
The move was to limit the workload on the staff to maintain records and reduce costs related to EHR. The Suncoast CHC served over 62,000 patients in 2022.
Edward Martinbor, CIO at Suncoast CHC addressed the cost of managing data with better technology to Healthcare IT Today. He said, “Right-sizing their servers and data center infrastructure would have required a $400K investment.”
Hence, Martinbor decided to move to the cloud rather than having the small staff at SCHC to a lengthy upgrade process.
It is unlikely that this news did not reach LockBit in planning the cyberattack on SCHC. Yet, it is not confirmed how LockBit hacked and exfiltrated data from the Suncoast CHC.
Media Disclaimer: This report is based on internal and external research obtained through various means. The information provided is for reference purposes only, and users bear full responsibility for their reliance on it. The Cyber Express assumes no liability for the accuracy or consequences of using this information.
