Ransomware Forces Brookside Medical Clinic To Close Its Doors

Midwestern Clinic Shuts Down After Ransomware Attack

In March, ransomware corrupted Brookside Medical Center, located in Battle Creek, Michigan. After paralyzing the clinic by encrypting all of their patient files, the clinic’s partners reached out to FBI officials.

The FBI encouraged the clinic not to pay the $6,500 in ransom demands for two reasons. First, you could pay and end up not getting the decryption key to unlock the files. Second, you could pay and successfully restore your files but also put a target on your back for future attacks. After hearing this, they opted not to pay. Unfortunately, they had no backup files. Brookside Medical Clinic stayed open for a while to inform patients as they came in that they had lost all of their files. The physicians offered to see patients, but oftentimes they sought out treatment elsewhere. Eventually, this led the clinic to shut down.

Although this was a terrible event, they stated they were grateful it happened towards the end of their careers. Both medical providers from Brookside Medical Clinic retired as a result of the clinic closure.

Other Ransomware Attacks

For a list of ransomware attacks that have already taken place in 2019, you may click here. We have also created a map, see below, of the ransomware attacks that have taken place in the U.S.