Haliburton Highlands experiences Code Grey outage

HALIBURTON, Ont. – Haliburton Highlands Health Services declared a Code Grey on Sunday due to an external cybersecurity issue. Officials say the issue has impacted HHHS’s access to the shared integrated information technology system with Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay. The code signals an infrastructure loss or failure.

Hospital officials say the public should be aware that some HHHS email accounts are not functioning and those looking to access HHHS services may experience some delays. The phone system at HHHS is functioning with no interruption.

“Our staff team is, once again, going above and beyond to continue delivering services in a more challenging environment,” said Carolyn Plummer (pictured), president and CEO of HHHS. “We ask for the community’s continued patience, understanding, and kindness as some of their interactions with our team may be delayed as a result of this situation.”

HHHS will continue to work closely with local and regional partners to support the investigation of this issue. Updates will be provided on the HHHS website at www.hhhs.ca and on the HHHS social media channels.

The alleged cyber attack comes less than two months after a ransomware attack on Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children that contributed to diagnostic and treatment delays.

Concerned over the potential impact such incidents could have on, not just hospitals, but also school boards, post-secondary institutions and social service agencies, the Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery established a Cyber Security Expert Panel in 2020 to provide critical advice on how to improve cyber resilience government-wide.