WASHINGTON, DC - Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) today sent a letter to Nuance, a computer software technology corporation that works in the health care space, regarding the NotPetya malware outbreak. The letter follows letters last month from the committee that were sent to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Merck on this issue.
“According to both news reports and recent public statements, Nuance’s ability to provide vital transcription and dictation services to health care professionals was affected by the malware strain commonly known as ‘NotPetya.’ While Nuance has announced that impacted services have been fully restored, Nuance’s original infection and its effects adds to the growing list of concerns about the potential consequences of cyber threats to the health care sector," wrote Chairman Walden. “It is important, therefore, for the Committee to understand the details of this event so we can work together to ensure appropriate lessons are identified and addressed. Learning from this event will not only benefit the health care sector, but also the millions of patients who depend on the availability of its products and services."
Chairman Walden also wrote, “While Nuance was not the only company to suffer degraded capabilities due to the June 27 outbreak, Nuance’s role as a transcription and dictation provider for a large percentage of the health care sector sets its infection and subsequent availability issues apart and raises the possibility of more serious aftereffects for the health care sector as a whole."
