Experts look into possible cyberattack at Florida hospitals

Experts are investigating after the computer systems of two central Florida hospitals showed signs of unusual activity, an official said.

The Villages Regional Hospital and the UF Health Leesburg Hospital shut down multiple systems to protect patient information during the event Monday night, switching to pen and paper to document patient visits, news outlets report.

“We have since learned that the activity was related to a cybersecurity event,” Frank Faust, a spokesman for the University of Florida’s Health Central Florida, told the Orlando Sentinel. “With regard to protected information, at this time we do not believe any patient or personnel records have been compromised or shared.”

Faust said information technology teams from the University of Florida were investigating.

“These types of situations take time to fully resolve,” Faust said. “We are continuing to methodically investigate to delicately and precisely understand what happened, and are taking the appropriate actions to resolve any and all issues.”

The Villages is one of the country’s largest retirement communities, with a population of more than 130,000.

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