Rumor spreading in IT that Ascension paid the ransom. Slowly systems are working again. They will never admit it, but outsourcing was a mistake costing millions...
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The problem happened long before the outsourcing. Eduardo Conrado was hired as a person known for outsourcing and relying on contractors. Ascension made its bed when they hired him and instead of getting rid of him when outsourcing drove up inefficiency they promoted him to run the whole show. What's amazing is how fast they're shrinking now. The guy is literally driving what was once one of the largest healthcare organizations in the US straight into the ground.
I used to program for them. The management there is useless now under HCL. A lot of legacy knowledge was lost in the outsourcing. I'm sad that this attack likely costed people their lives because of the slowness in care without computers. But I can't say I feel too bad for Ascension. They think that anyone under management is expendable and just learned the hard way that isn't true.
I don’t think so.
First Ascension outsourced their IT employees:
https://www.modernhealthcare.com/outsourcing/ascensions-it-arm-outsources-another-330-jobs
Then, Ascension notified the FBI to investigate the ransomware attack:
https://www.kxan.com/news/local/ascension-electronic-health-records-restored-after-ransomware-attack/
Between the time of outsourcing and the ransomware attack what went so horribly wrong.