UNM Health Cybersecurity Threat: Ambulances Rerouted, Clinics Closed, Students Sent Home

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — UNM is diverting ambulances to other hospitals, closing all clinics and sending some students home due to a cybersecurity threat Monday.

All ambulance traffic is being diverted to other hospitals and all appointments at all clinics on Monday have been cancelled. This includes Sandoval Regional Medical Center.

“UNM Health patients should not come to UNM Health facilities on October 26. Emergencies should be handled by 911 and non-emergency cases should be delayed until further notice,” UNM Health said.

According to UNM, the threat affects the entire UNM Health Sciences Center. UNM said “all non-essential staff and students enrolled in the School of Medicine, School of Pharmacy, School of Nursing, and School of Population Health” should leave campus for the remainder of the day. This does not apply to clinical employees or anyone identified as essential.

According to a partial recording obtained by KOB, suspected hackers broadcast a message to hospital staff’s computers. Authorities have not confirmed the claims in this message:

Scanner audio transmitted to Albuquerque Fire Department first responders indicated the ambulance hijacking would last for at least the “next two hours,” starting at 1 p.m.

The UNM Health Sciences Center has opened an emergency operations center to try to prevent further attacks and assess the extent of their impact. UNM confirmed the main campus is aware of it, but it’s unclear how widespread the problem is.

UNM Health officials are “actively working to resolve this issue.”

Monica Logroño and Tessa Mentus contributed to this report.