Aroostook Mental Health Center said a recent network disruption in Maine affected some business operations and temporarily interrupted connectivity as the behavioral health provider investigates a leak-site claim tied to Qilin.
The Presque Isle-based provider said it recently experienced a network disruption that affected some business operations and caused a temporary interruption to some connectivity. It said it engaged cyber incident specialists to investigate the scope and nature of the disruption.
The organization said it was aware its name had been posted on the dark web by a group it said was likely behind the attack on its environment, and said the posting followed its decision not to deal with the criminals behind the disruption. Bangor Daily News reported that Qilin added AMHC to its leak site on March 24.
DysruptionHub emailed AMHC seeking additional details about the scope of the disruption, any impact on patient services and whether the Ellsworth phone issues were related, but did not receive a response by publication time.
AMHC said its investigation remained ongoing and that, as of its public statement, specialists had not identified indications that sensitive client data had been accessed. Data exposure has not been publicly confirmed.
A separate AMHC social media post dated March 12 said its Ellsworth location was having technical difficulties with its phones, though it said calls could still be answered. AMHC has not publicly linked that phone issue to the broader network disruption.
Public-facing impacts described so far remain limited. AMHC has acknowledged effects on business operations and connectivity, but it has not said whether appointments, crisis services, electronic records, patient portals or other systems were disrupted.
Maine’s healthcare sector has faced a sharp run of cyber disruptions since late May 2025. In the span of about a week, St. Joseph Hospital in Bangor and its sister hospital in Nashua, New Hampshire, reported a cyberattack; St. Mary’s Health System and affiliated Community Clinical Services in Lewiston disconnected all data systems after another attack; and Central Maine Healthcare in Lewiston shut down its IT infrastructure after detecting unusual activity. The stretch made Central Maine Healthcare the third Maine hospital network taken offline in a week and highlighted the strain cyber incidents were placing on hospitals and clinics across the state.
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AMHC says it is the largest behavioral healthcare provider in its region, operating 27 service locations across Aroostook, Hancock and Washington counties. Its 2025 annual report says it has more than 350 employees and has served the region for more than 60 years.
Federal health sector cyber officials warned in 2024 that Qilin was targeting healthcare and other industries worldwide, adding context to the significance of a public claim involving a care provider.
AMHC said it will update relevant parties as it learns more. The main unresolved questions are whether any patient-facing services were disrupted, whether data was taken and whether the Ellsworth phone problems were part of the same incident.
