Ransomware Attack Disrupts Maryland's Frederick Health ER
Frederick Health in Frederick, Maryland, suffered a ransomware attack on January 27, 2025, prompting the hospital to take its systems offline. The attack severely impacted emergency services, forcing ambulances to divert patients to other hospitals as Frederick Health’s emergency department temporarily suspended new admissions. The hospital was placed on "mini disaster" status and remained on both red and yellow alert, indicating no available critical care beds and limited capacity for urgent medical cases. Despite the disruption, hospital facilities stayed open, implementing downtime procedures to continue patient care.
Frederick Health is collaborating with third-party cybersecurity experts to restore its systems safely. It remains unclear whether any patient data was compromised. This incident underscores the growing cybersecurity threats facing the healthcare sector, where ransomware attacks can directly impact patient safety. Local officials also reported disruptions to the hospital’s communications system. The hospital continues working to resume normal operations while managing service delays.