Montpelier, Vt. – Governor Phil Scott has ordered into service the Vermont Army National Guard’s Combined Cyber Response Team (CCRT) to assist the University of Vermont Health Network (UVMHN) in its response to last week’s cyberattack, which has disrupted its IT systems.
The National Guard team will support ongoing work by UVMHN to review thousands of end-user computers and devices and ensure they are free of any malware or virus.
“I appreciate the work of the UVM Health Network, with support from State agencies and state and federal law enforcement, to respond quickly to this cyberattack, putting patient safety first and steadily restoring systems in a safe and secure manner,” said Governor Phil Scott. “The support of the Guard’s talented and experienced Cyber Response Team will further bolster this important work.”
“We have been working closely with the UVMHN Information Technology team to tailor a support package to best assist them,” said Col. Chris Evans, chief information officer, Vermont Army National Guard. “National Guard Cyber Soldiers are trained IT professionals that come with military and industry backgrounds and training. This diverse training and experience fosters efficient and effective cyber response teams capable of a wide range of technological security tasks.”
The Vermont Army National Guard’s CCRT is made up of Soldiers from 2nd Detachment, 136th Cyber Security Company, and Joint Force Headquarters, Vermont Defensive Cyber Operations Element. The CCRT is able to respond in support of state or federal missions. The CCRT recently participated in Cyber Shield 2020, a national level exercise that is focused on honing abilities to provide cyber support to mission partners, such as UVMHN.
“The UVM Health Network continues to work around the clock to repair our system and deliver the highest quality care to our patients. We are grateful to the Vermont National Guard and Governor Phil Scott's administration for dedicating invaluable resources to our efforts,” said John R. Brumsted, MD, President and CEO of the UVM Health Network. “The deployment of the Vermont National Guard's Combined Cyber Response Team 1 will aid our recovery from this incident, and this team’s expert advice and assistance will bolster our network’s operations going forward. We appreciate the outpouring of support and understanding we have received from our patients and communities. We will continue to dedicate all available resources to this response until our systems are restored.”
Anticipating the potential for support from the Guard, the Governor signed Executive Order 05-20 on Saturday, and the team began its work with UVMHN today.
The latest updates and information on the status of UVMHN’s response can be found at www.uvmhealth.org/cyberattack. All media inquiries regarding the investigation of the cyberattack should be directed to FBI Public Affairs Specialist Sarah Ruane at scruane@fbi.gov.