Ascension Faces New Security Incident Involving External Vendor

There has been an official disclosure from Ascension Healthcare, one of the largest non-profit healthcare systems in the United States, that there has been a data breach involving patient information due to a cybersecurity incident linked to a former business partner. Ascension, which has already faced mounting scrutiny for its data protection practices, is facing another significant cybersecurity challenge with this latest breach, proving the company’s commitment to security.

According to the health system, the recently disclosed incident resulted in the compromise of personal identifiable information (PII), including protected health information (PHI) of the patient. A cyberattack took place in December 2024 that was reported to have stolen data from a former business partner, a breach that was not reported publicly until now. This was the second major ransomware attack that Ascension faced since May of 2024, when critical systems were taken offline as a result of a major ransomware attack. 

A breach earlier this year affected approximately six million patients and resulted in widespread disruptions of operations. It caused ambulance diversions in a number of regions, postponements of elective procedures, and temporary halts of access to essential healthcare services in several of these regions. As a result of such incidents recurring repeatedly within the healthcare sector, concerns have been raised about the security posture of third-party vendors and also abou

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