Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., requested Nuance Communications provide the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce with a formal briefing about its experiences with the global NotPetya cyberattack by Nov. 2.
Mr. Walden, chairman of the committee, made the request in an Oct. 19 letter to Paul Ricci, chairman and CEO of the voice and language solutions provider. He asked Nuance officials to brief the committee on the circumstances surrounding the NotPetya infection and the recovery steps the company has taken since the June 28 incident.
Nuance confirmed the cyberattack caused disruptions on its transcription services and radiology critical test results in June. At the time, officials said the cyberattack led the company to take select solutions offline as a precautionary measure to contain the malware.
In his letter, Mr. Walden said the NotPetya attack represents one of the first instances in which a malware infection "so severely disrupted the ability of healthcare professionals to treat patients."
"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 healthcare sector," Mr. Walden wrote. "It is important, therefore, for the committee to understand the details of this event."
A Nuance spokesperson told Becker's Hospital Review the company is cooperating with the committee's request.
To access Mr. Walden's letter, click here.