Surviving a Cyberattack in Anatomic Pathology: Disaster Response and Creation of an Incident Command System

Abstract

Abstract Laboratories are increasingly reliant on networked electronic health information systems and therefore especially vulnerable to prolonged downtimes for a variety of reasons, which can be planned or unanticipated events. Our hospital was the victim of a cyberattack causing a complete shutdown of all computer systems, a downtime that lasted 25 days. The effects were devastating for patients, hospital employees, financials, public opinion, and hospital operations. After a week of downtime in the anatomic pathology laboratory, it became evident that our laboratory needed to rethink our organizational structure in order to regain operational status. It was then that we developed an Incident Command System, which allowed for 2-way communication and provided the adaptability and support needed to respond to the rapid process changes needed during the crisis.