FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP – Cybersecurity issues at CentraState Medical Center prompted the hospital to divert ambulances and most new patients to other facilities, a spokeswoman said.
Spokeswoman Lori Palmer said emergency care at the hospital was unaffected and the hospital is still accepting some walk-in patients.
“If people[walk into the emergency department]we are still accepting patients. We have patients here now, many of whom are undergoing treatment now,” she said.
Separately, outpatient services are scheduled to be suspended at 1:00 p.m. Friday and will remain so until further notice.
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Palmer said the IT security issue was discovered early Friday morning.
The hospital continues to work to determine the extent of the problem and its cause.
Palmer said the hospital immediately notified the state Department of Health and Human Services.
It is unclear whether the investigation involved the New Jersey Homeland Security Agency, which deals with cyberattacks. Calls to the office were not returned immediately.
The New Jersey State Office and its cybersecurity arm, the New Jersey Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell, issued an alert at the end of November, warning of cyber threats targeting individuals, organizations, and businesses across the state during the upcoming holidays. warned the public to pay attention to the signs of season.
The office’s alert level is currently ‘blue’ or ‘protected’, meaning there is a general risk of hacking or malicious activity, but ‘no known exploits have been identified or known An exploit has been identified, but no significant impact has occurred.”
Ken Serrano covers crime, breaking news and investigations. Contact him at 732-643-4029 or [email protected].
