Cyber Attack Temporarily Shuts Down Southern Oregon Veterinary Specialty Center, Disrupts Animal Care Services

Over the weekend of November 9, 2024, Southern Oregon Veterinary Specialty Center (SOVSC) in Central Point, Oregon, experienced a cyber attack that temporarily shut down its urgent care services and severely impacted operations. On Saturday morning, staff discovered the breach when attempts to access patient files were blocked by a ransom note. In response, the veterinary center immediately shut down its networks to prevent further infiltration and called in their cybersecurity team to contain the damage. About 30 compromised devices were replaced, yet the disruption forced SOVSC to close urgent care temporarily and limit emergency room services, resulting in longer wait times and patient referrals to other providers. According to SOVSC, their external data storage remained secure, allowing partial access to patient information during recovery.

SOVSC management emphasized that no client payment data was compromised, as such information is managed offsite by a third-party vendor. SOVSC Director Craig Lassen described the incident as a “stress test” of their cyber defenses, underscoring a need for ongoing security improvements amidst a surge in ransomware and denial-of-service attacks targeting healthcare. By Sunday night, major systems were operational, though full recovery is expected to extend through the week. SOVSC emphasized the community’s importance to its mission and reassured clients that systems will be strengthened against future threats.