University of Mississippi Medical Center Ransomware Attack Disrupts Epic EHR and Statewide Clinics
The University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) restored normal operations after a major ransomware attack that disrupted IT systems for roughly nine days, including loss of access to electronic medical records and impacts to patient care across the state. The incident forced UMMC to cancel outpatient procedures, ambulatory surgeries, and imaging appointments, while hospitals and emergency departments continued operating using manual downtime procedures; phone communications were also affected.
UMMC reported restoring access to patient records and reopening clinics with extended hours to address the backlog. Officials said they were communicating with the attackers and working with the FBI and CISA during the response and investigation. As of the latest reporting, no ransomware group has claimed responsibility, and there was no confirmed evidence of data exfiltration disclosed in official statements.
Get ahead of threats like this
Mallory correlates global threat intelligence with your attack surface — know if you’re exposed before adversaries strike.
How this story unfolded
5 events from the most recent confirmed update back to the earliest known activity.
Family reveals UMMC attack disrupted active liver transplant surgery
By March 24, 2026, the family of patient Wade Watts publicly said UMMC systems began failing during his liver transplant surgery as the cyberattack unfolded, creating major operational challenges during a lifesaving procedure. The transplant was ultimately successful, and the account provided a concrete example of direct patient-care impact from the incident.
UMMC engages FBI and CISA and communicates with attackers
During the response, UMMC said it was working with federal authorities including the FBI and CISA and confirmed it had communicated directly with the attackers, indicating an extortion component. At that stage, no ransomware group had publicly claimed responsibility and there was no confirmed evidence of data exfiltration.
UMMC restores Epic access and reopens clinics with extended hours
UMMC restored access to patient records and reopened clinics on March 2, 2026, resuming normal operations after the nine-day outage. The medical center said clinics would use extended hours to address the accumulated backlog of delayed care.
UMMC closes clinics and cancels outpatient services for nine days
Following the attack, UMMC shut down clinics across the state for nine days and canceled outpatient procedures, ambulatory surgeries, and imaging appointments. The disruption created a backlog that included time-sensitive care such as chemotherapy.
UMMC hit by ransomware attack that disrupts Epic EHR and communications
In late February 2026, the University of Mississippi Medical Center suffered a ransomware attack that took its Epic electronic health record system offline and disrupted phone and email access. Hospitals and emergency departments continued operating under manual downtime procedures while the incident affected care statewide.
Related entities
Vulnerabilities, threat actors, malware, products, organizations, and breaches Mallory has linked to this story.
Sources
3 references tracked. Mallory keeps watching after this page renders.
Family of UMMC patient speaks out after cyberattack during lifesaving surgery - DataBreaches.Net
databreaches.net
Open sourceUniversity of Mississippi Medical Center restores operations after 9-day ransomware attack | brief | SC Media
scworld.com
Open sourceUniversity of Mississippi Medical Center Restores Epic EHR System After Major Ransomware Attack and Nine-Day Clinic Closure
rescana.com
Open sourceSee the full picture, correlated to your attack surface.
Map indicators from this story to your assets and identify affected systems in minutes.
Every observed campaign, victim, and pivot linked to actors named in this story.
Malware, exploits, and IOCs connected to the activity described here.
YARA, Sigma, and Snort rules deployed to your SIEM as soon as they’re published.
Get matching new stories delivered to your team as they break — not the next morning.
Ask questions about this story and take action on the answers.
Related stories
Other stories Mallory is tracking that overlap on entities, sources, or topic labels.
University of Mississippi Medical Center Ransomware Attack Disrupts Epic EHR and Forces Statewide Clinic Closures
The **University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC)** reported a **ransomware attack** that knocked multiple IT systems offline, including access to its *Epic* electronic health record (EHR) platform, triggering the organization’s emergency operations plan. The disruption forced UMMC to **close all 35 clinics statewide** and **cancel outpatient, elective, and clinic procedures**, while hospital and emergency services remained open under contingency operations. UMMC stated the attackers have been in communication and that it is working with external specialists and law enforcement; the **FBI is investigating** and warned the duration of the outage was unknown at the time of reporting. Separate reporting also described a different municipal incident in **Meriden, Connecticut**, where officials took city internet services and public Wi‑Fi offline after an attempted disruption; emergency services were reported as unaffected and the city said it would conduct a comprehensive review before restoring service.
Mar 21, 2026
Ransomware Attack Disrupts University of Mississippi Medical Center and Triggers Privacy Scrutiny
A ransomware attack forced the University of Mississippi Medical Center to take major systems offline, disrupting its phone network, broader IT environment, and Epic electronic health record platform. UMMC closed all 35 clinics across Mississippi, canceled appointments including chemotherapy and elective procedures, and shifted staff to paper documentation while keeping hospitals and emergency departments open. The medical center said it was working with the FBI, outside cybersecurity specialists, and vendors to investigate the intrusion and restore operations. UMMC later reopened clinics as systems were gradually brought back online, but the fallout extended beyond the immediate outage. Subsequent reporting said the incident may have exposed the organization to potential federal privacy-law issues, raising questions about whether protected health information was adequately safeguarded during the attack. The case highlights how ransomware against healthcare providers can quickly disrupt patient care, delay treatment, and create regulatory risk alongside operational recovery.
May 25, 2026
Medusa Ransomware Claims University of Mississippi Medical Center Attack
**University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC)** is facing an extortion threat after the **Medusa** ransomware gang claimed responsibility for the February cyberattack that disrupted hospital operations and forced staff to rely on paper processes and other offline workarounds. The incident affected one of Mississippi’s most critical healthcare providers, with hospitals and emergency departments remaining open while **35 clinic locations** were closed; recovery involved assistance from the **FBI** and **Department of Homeland Security**, and full reopening was reported on March 2. Medusa later posted on its leak site that it had stolen data from UMMC and demanded **$800,000**, with a deadline of **March 20**. Reporting indicates the gang offered multiple extortion options, including paying to delete the data, buying the allegedly stolen information, or paying a smaller amount to extend the deadline. Screenshots were published as purported proof of theft, but UMMC had not confirmed that sensitive patient or enterprise data was actually exfiltrated, and the size and scope of the alleged data set remained unclear at the time of reporting.
Mar 21, 2026