Schneider Hospital investigating ransomware cyberattack

ST. THOMAS — Local and federal investigators are assessing a ransomware cyberattack on Schneider Hospital that occurred Sunday morning, according to hospital CEO Tina Comissiong.

“We want to assure the community that we will continue to provide all patient care services during this time. However, we regret to inform our patients that access to the patient portal is currently unavailable, and copies of your medical records will not be available until the system is restored. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause,” the hospital said in a statement.

In response to questions from The Daily News, Comissiong said in a phone interview Monday that staff detected unusual activity in the network systems, and confirmed the hospital was a victim of “ransomware.” That type of cyberattack typically involves software that disables or interferes with a computer system while demanding the victim pay a fee.