A cyberattack diverted ambulances from UNM Health in New Mexico
Appointments resumed Tuesday and classes returned Wednesday. The university says it made no concessions to those behind it and has not said whether data was taken.
UNM Health, the University of New Mexico's clinical system in Albuquerque, detected a cybersecurity threat on Monday and had it contained within hours. By then, ambulances had been rerouted and appointments canceled.
For two hours starting at 12:30 p.m., ambulances went to other hospitals in Albuquerque and Santa Fe. Outpatient surgeries and appointments were off for the rest of the day. Security teams had started containment around 11 a.m., and systems began coming back in phases two hours later.
Critical electronic systems were online Tuesday and clinics took appointments again. Classes and research at the campus resumed Wednesday at 12:39 p.m. The medical, nursing, pharmacy and population health schools had canceled theirs Monday and Tuesday.
What the university has and hasn't said
The attack hit some end-user devices but "did not penetrate core systems or servers," the institution says. It adds that it made no concessions to whoever is behind the threat. It has not said what kind of attack it was, or whether files were encrypted or data taken. The case remains under criminal investigation, which limits what it can share. State and federal authorities were notified, and an emergency operations center was activated.
Patients, students and employees got one clear request: do not respond to anyone claiming responsibility, since follow-up fraud, such as fake offers of payment or compensation, may come. The university also asks people not to open their links or attachments, not to hand over personal or financial details, and to forward the message to the FBI at ic3.gov.
The university's notices make no mention of anyone affected outside the United States.
