Michigan lawmaker calls for stricter penalties for cyberattacks against hospitals
(CBS DETROIT) - As McLaren Health Care system works to recover from last week's cyberattack, one Michigan lawmaker wants to increase penalties for hackers who target health systems.
McLaren was hit with outages to its information technology system and phone lines on Aug 6. In an update on Monday, the health system is working with cybersecurity experts to determine if patients or employees were impacted. Officials say all radiation therapy units at Karmanos Cancer Institute care facilities in Michigan are operational. Other departments, including emergency services and primary and specialty care clinics, are also operational.
"We remain truly grateful for the tireless effort and dedication displayed by our team members under these demanding circumstances, and we sincerely regret any impact this cyber attack may have had on our patients," McLaren said in the update.
In response to the latest attack, State Rep. Donni Steele says she wants to see stiffer penalties and improved preventative security.
"I believe if you make the penalties stronger on the front side, people will be less likely to do the crime," Steele told CBS News Detroit.
Steele says Michigan law currently outlines a punishment of five years in prison for hackers and three years for possessing ransomware. However, she says those penalties aren't strong enough for people disrupting important medical information.
"We have to think about how many different people are connected to the health care. I mean, you're talking about hospitals, but then you think about insurance people, and health care providers, and small doctor's offices. When you affect one, you're affecting thousands," said Steele.
According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, more than 460 ransomware attacks were committed against US hospital systems in 2023. Steele says she plans to work with a fellow lawmaker in the House to introduce legislation that will provide more support for local law enforcement responding to these incidents and create stricter penalties.
"Think about how all these systems run are all on technology, and it's not a matter of if. It's a matter of when and we need to be vigilant," she said.
Lawmakers are scheduled to reconvene briefly later this month and return from their summer break in September.