Windsor

Hospitals affected by ransomware attack say some data has been exposed online

Southwestern Ontario hospitals affected by the recent ransomware attack say some information has been exposed. A joint news release from hospitals in Windsor-Essex, Chatham-Kent and Sarnia-Lambton was issued late Thursday morning. 

5 hospitals have had their IT systems offline since Oct. 23

A person types on a computer keyboard.
Affected hospitals issued a joint news release Thursday to notify the public that some data has been published online following the cyberattack. (PabloLagarto/Shutterstock)

Five southwestern Ontario hospitals affected by the recent ransomware attack say some information has been exposed.

A joint news release from hospitals in Windsor-Essex, Chatham-Kent and Sarnia-Lambton was issued late Thursday morning. 

"We have become aware that data connected to the cyber incident has been published," the statement read.  "We are reviewing the data to determine its contents."

The hospitals said they decided not to pay the ransom demands, indicating that experts concluded they could not verify claims by the attacker.

It's been 11 days since the IT systems across the hospitals were taken offline.

The FBI, Interpol and OPP are assisting in the investigation.