# UNM Health Shuts Clinics and Diverts Patients During Security Incident A major cybersecurity threat forced New Mexico's only Level 1 trauma center to suspend operations. - **Source:** [Security Affairs](https://brifing.si/source/e6c4f5ec-3e1b-4152-a932-056243bd56eb) - **Published:** 2026-11-05 - **Topic:** [health](https://brifing.si/c/health) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/46f1174c-49d6-409b-be9e-ed7bc8955a4c ## Emergency Operations Disrupted On October 26, 2026, the University of New Mexico Health System faced a severe cybersecurity incident. The organization was forced to divert all incoming ambulance traffic to other regional providers and cancel appointments across more than 30 clinics. This disruption impacted the state's only Level 1 trauma center, complicating emergency care access. ## Immediate Containment Measures IT security teams identified the threat at approximately 11 a.m. and initiated containment protocols. Leadership activated an Emergency Operations Center and engaged external support while notifying state and federal law enforcement agencies. The system temporarily stopped accepting new patients between 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. to protect the integrity of the network. ## Scope of System Impact The security event affected various end-user devices throughout the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center. While core systems and servers remained protected, the outage necessitated the suspension of outpatient surgeries and clinical appointments. Additionally, the institution canceled classes for medical, nursing, and pharmacy students to prioritize the ongoing network security efforts. ## Regional Healthcare Coordination To manage the sudden influx of patients, UNM Health coordinated with Presbyterian Healthcare Services and Lovelace Health System. These providers absorbed the diverted ambulance traffic and patient volume, demonstrating regional resilience during the crisis. By Monday afternoon, the hospital began restoring systems, and operations returned to normal status by the following day. ## Data Security Concerns While UNM Health has not confirmed any data exfiltration, employees reported receiving messages claiming that patient, student, and staff information had been stolen. The institution issued warnings to the public regarding potential phishing and fraud attempts. Attackers often exploit such incidents to deceive individuals through social engineering tactics and malicious communication. ## Criminal Investigation Status The cybersecurity incident remains under active criminal investigation by law enforcement authorities. Officials are working to determine the origin and nature of the threat that targeted the health system. The focus remains on identifying the perpetrators while ensuring that all digital infrastructure remains secure against any further unauthorized access or malicious activity. ## Operational Resilience Lessons The incident highlights the critical vulnerability of healthcare networks to cyber threats. By isolating affected devices and suspending non-essential services, UNM Health followed a standard protocol of containment before investigation. This event underscores the necessity for hospitals to maintain robust emergency response plans that account for both physical and digital infrastructure failures. ## Future Security Outlook Healthcare institutions must remain vigilant against evolving cyber threats that target sensitive medical data. The rapid restoration of services at UNM Health demonstrates the effectiveness of coordinated regional responses. Moving forward, the focus will likely shift toward strengthening endpoint security and enhancing communication strategies to protect patients from secondary fraud attempts. ## Sources covering this story - https://securityaffairs.com/202495/security/unm-health-shuts-clinics-and-diverts-patients-during-security-incident.html — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._