Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure

The University of Mississippi Medical Center has closed all 35 of its clinics statewide after a ransomware attack Thursday crippled its IT network, phone systems and Epic electronic health‑records platform, forcing staff to revert to paper documentation. UMMC vice chancellor for health affairs LouAnn Woodward said Friday the system has taken all networks offline 'out of an abundance of caution' while it works with the FBI and cybersecurity specialists to assess the intrusion and restore services. Hospitals and emergency departments in Jackson remain open, but outpatient care – including chemotherapy and elective procedures – has been halted, with patients told they will need to reschedule and that time‑sensitive treatments will be prioritized as systems come back. Officials say they have 'stopped the bleeding' but still do not know the full scope of the breach or whether patient data were compromised, and the FBI’s Jackson field office is surging resources locally and nationally to help recover operations. The shutdown underscores how a single cyberattack can quickly disrupt health care delivery across an entire state and adds to mounting evidence that U.S. hospital networks remain soft targets for ransomware crews.