Two NJ hospitals shut down emergency rooms, divert ambulances due to cyber attack

Emergency rooms at two New Jersey hospitals are rerouting ambulances and emergency vehicles due to a cyber attack in the form of ransomware.

The two hospitals attacked are Pascack Valley Medical Center in Westwood, and Mountainside Medical Center in Montclair, according to WABC. Both hospitals are subsidiaries of Hackensack Meridian Health system.

Hospitals at both locations stopped admitting new patients into their emergency room.

More: NJ Office of Homeland Security warns residents to watch for physical and cyber threats

"As a precaution, our emergency rooms are currently on divert status. There is no adverse impact on patient care," Hackensack Meridian said in a prepared statement.

Details on what the cybercriminals are demanding or when the emergency rooms will reopen is unclear.

What is ransomware?

Ransomware is a type of malware which prevent access to devices and the data stored on it, usually by encrypting files.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: New Jersey hospitals dealing with cyber attack