UNM Health cyberattack disrupted surgeries, appointments and ambulance access
UNM Health's 26 October cyberattack disrupted patient care. UNM says clinical services are restored, although an IT disruption alert remains open. Confirm cancelled care with your clinic and ignore anyone offering attack-related compensation.
Contact your UNM Health clinic through its usual number to confirm or reschedule care cancelled during the disruption; call 911 for emergencies. Do not respond to anyone claiming responsibility or offering compensation, and do not share personal or financial information. Save suspicious messages and report them to the FBI at IC3.gov.
What’s happening
A cyberattack on the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center on 26 October disrupted hospital care, clinic appointments and academic activities. UNM Health diverted ambulances for two hours and suspended outpatient surgeries and appointments for the remainder of that day, then restored operations in phases. By 28 October, UNM said clinical services were fully functional and classes and research had resumed. Its assessment found some staff devices affected but no penetration of core systems or servers. BYOD claimed responsibility and theft of patient, student and employee information; UNM has not confirmed ransomware involvement or those data theft claims. A criminal investigation remains underway. As of 1 November, UNM's separate IT alert still warned of possible disruption to services provided through the Health Sciences Center, despite the reported clinical recovery. UNM also warned against supposed compensation offers from anyone claiming responsibility.
- What
- Breach
- Affects
- University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center and UNM Health services
- Fixed in
- Nothing to patch
- Since
- 26 Oct 2026
Timeline
- Update
UNM's IT alerts page still listed the incident as ongoing, warning that services provided through the Health Sciences Center could be disrupted. It said main and branch campus systems were unaffected.
- Vendor revised
UNM said clinical services were fully functional and classes and research had resumed. It warned against engaging with anyone claiming responsibility, including offers of payments or compensation.
- Update
UNM reported critical electronic systems restored, hospitals fully open and normal ambulance traffic and clinic appointments resumed. BYOD claimed responsibility and data theft; UNM had not confirmed those allegations.
- Made publicNothing to patch
A cyberattack forced UNM Health to divert ambulances for about two hours and suspend outpatient surgeries and appointments for the rest of the day. Recovery began that afternoon.
Sources
- UNM Warns Public Not to Engage with Any Groups Claiming Responsibility for Cybersecurity ThreatUNM Health Sciences Center · 28 Oct 2026
- IT Alerts: Cybersecurity Issue Affecting UNM Health Sciences Center ServicesUniversity of New Mexico Information Technologies · 26 Oct 2026
- UNM Health ransomware attack disrupts patient care, surgeriesBleepingComputer · 27 Oct 2026
- University of New Mexico hospital diverts ambulances after cyberattackThe Record · 27 Oct 2026