UNM Health cybersecurity threat: Ambulances diverted, clinics closed, students sent home

Key Points:

• UNM Health Sciences Center is experiencing a cybersecurity threat, leading to the diversion of all ambulance traffic to other hospitals and the cancellation of all clinic appointments on October 26.
• All non-essential personnel and students from the School of Medicine, College of Pharmacy, College of Nursing, and College of Population Health have been instructed to leave campus for the day, while clinical employees and essential staff remain.
• UNM Health advises patients not to visit their facilities on October 26, recommending emergencies be handled by 911 and non-emergencies be postponed.
• Alleged hackers reportedly broadcast a message to hospital workers’ computers, though officials have not confirmed this claim, and the ambulance diversion was expected to last at least two hours as of early afternoon.
• An emergency operations center has been established by UNM Health Sciences Center to prevent further attacks and assess the situation, with officials actively working to resolve the issue.