The University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) operates seven hospitals and 35 clinics. Because of a cyberattack UMMC discovered on February 19, 2026, the healthcare system experienced a nine-day network disruption. UMMC had to consequently reschedule surgeries, close clinics, and operate in a temporarily analog environment. The ransomware attack impacted patient care and may have put patients’ sensitive information at risk.
Healthcare system data breaches can compromise patients’ Protected Health Information (“PHI”) and Personally Identifiable Information (“PII”). According to the General HIPAA Provisions, PHI is “Individually identifiable health information transmitted by electronic media, maintained in electronic media, or transmitted or maintained in any other form or medium.” Examples of PHI include medical records, insurance details, and diagnostic information.
PII is “information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual’s identity, either alone or when combined with other information that is linked or linkable to a specific individual,” according to the Department of Labor. Contact information, social security numbers, and driver’s license numbers are examples of PII that the incident could have compromised.
It is important to note that UMMC has not yet disclosed what patient information, if any, was impacted by the security incident. UMMC has made contact with the attackers and is coordinating with the Federal Bureau of Investigations as well as the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
If you are a current UMMC patient, former UMMC patient, or have received medical services from UMMC and would like additional information about your legal rights, you can contact Goldenberg Schneider, LPA by calling 513-982-1569, sending an email to [email protected] or completing the “Contact Us” form to the right.