STATEMENT REGARDING THWARTED RANSOMWARE HOAX
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MEDIA STATEMENT
PR CONTACT:
Frankie Gallagher 415-505-2524
fgallagher@hazelhawkins.com
STATEMENT REGARDING THWARTED RANSOMWARE HOAX
March 6, 2025 – Hollister, Calif. – Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital (HHMH) recently received correspondence implying that an outside organization had gained access to HHMH Information Systems over the past several weeks and demanding a ransom payment to keep the data unpublished. HHMH staff immediately contacted authorities and worked closely with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies along with hospital Cyber Security partners to assess the validity of the threat.
The District has confirmed that these mailed ransom notes are a social engineering hoax, with no evidence linking them to actual ransomware attacks. It has been further verified through extensive analysis that HHMH did not find any Indicators of Compromise in the Information Technology environment.
“Information privacy and security are among our highest priorities. Upon learning of this event, we moved quickly to investigate and assess the security of our systems,” states Mary Casillas, HHMH CEO. “We are confident that no data compromise occurred.”
Article from the American Hospital Association regarding the hoax:
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About Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital
Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital is a full-service, public agency hospital delivering modern medicine and compassionate care to the growing San Benito County community. HHMH offers hundreds of health services across multiple locations, including top-tier specialists, a modern Emergency Department, and a state-of-the-art Women’s Center. To learn more about Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital and the Hazel Hawkins Hospital Foundation, please visit www.hazelhawkins.com.