UHS the Apparent Victim of Attack on Computer System

Universal Health Services on Monday announced that its IT network had been taken offline “due to an IT security issue.” A person familiar with the company’s operations told NBC News that the issue “looks and smells like ransomware.”

One of the largest hospital systems in the nation, UHS operates 400 properties, including 328 behavioral health inpatient facilities.

Sources told NBC News that the attack began over the weekend, and as a result, UHS employees had to resort to filing patient information with pen and paper.

“We implement extensive IT security protocols and are working diligently with our IT security partners to restore IT operations as quickly as possible,” UHS said in a statement on its website on Monday. “In the meantime, our facilities are using their established back-up processes including offline documentation methods. Patient care continues to be delivered safely and effectively.

“No patient or employee data appears to have been accessed, copied or misused.”

A message from BHE seeking comment from a UHS spokesperson was not immediately returned on Tuesday morning.