More than 115 Illinois hospitals participate in AI cyberattack drill
FOX23 News at 9 p.m.
ILLINOIS (KBSI) — More than 115 Illinois hospitals and health systems participated in a statewide emergency preparedness exercise Wednesday, Nov. 4, simulating a cyberattack powered by artificial intelligence.
The Illinois Health and Hospital Association organized the virtual exercise, called “Broken Trust: AI Takes Control,” to help hospitals prepare for cyber threats that could disrupt patient care, communications and daily operations.
According to the association, the event was the largest AI-focused hospital emergency preparedness exercise ever conducted in Illinois.
The simulation involved a cyberattack in which artificial intelligence was used to manipulate trusted information, disrupt hospital staffing and interfere with clinical and business operations.
Hospital teams worked through scenarios designed to test their emergency response plans, communication systems and ability to maintain patient care during a cyberattack.
“Protecting patient care must remain at the center of our preparedness efforts as cyber threats against healthcare organizations continue to evolve,” said A.J. Wilhelmi, president and CEO of the Illinois Health and Hospital Association.
“Exercises like this give hospital teams an opportunity to test their response plans, strengthen coordination and identify vulnerabilities before a crisis occurs. This preparation is essential to keeping patients safe and sustaining the services our communities depend on.”
The exercise also focused on how hospitals could respond to false information generated by AI, maintain essential services during technology outages and safely restore affected systems.
The virtual training was led by Keneatha Johnson, the association’s assistant vice president of safety and emergency preparedness, and Stephen Weiler, manager of resiliency services with Tarian Group.
The association said the exercise was intended to help hospitals identify weaknesses in their emergency plans and improve coordination before an actual cyberattack occurs.
