4 Delaware County hospitals fall victim to ransomware attack

DELAWARE COUNTY, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- The Crozer Health Network confirmed on Friday that its hospitals in Delaware County have fallen victim to a ransomware attack.

A spokesperson from Crozer told Action News the health network is still evaluating the situation at all four hospitals.

The impacted hospitals include Crozer-Chester Medical Center, Taylor Hospital, Delaware County Memorial Hospital, and Springfield Hospital.

The network issued the following statement on the incident:

"We have experienced a ransomware attack that is Prospect wide. We are evaluating the situation. There has been no impact on the quality of patient care."

This incident is believed to be a part of a larger cyberattack, which is affecting hospitals in a number of other states.

"These are not lone wolves acting, these are organized groups that exist to make money in most instances," said Robert Dovidio, a professor of criminology at Drexel University.

"The best way to deal with this make sure you have a good backup system in place, so you don't have to worry about paying ransom to get access to your files," he continued.

The criminals behind this attack are likely overseas. The motive, experts say, is money and notoriety.

Some believe the criminals in this scheme will live up to their end of the bargain.

"I will say in some instances there is honor among thieves, the organized groups behind this," said Dovidio. "If I hit the Crozer system and that hospital, and they pay and I don't live up to the terms of the deal, the next agency that gets hit by us is going to think twice about paying."