Background of network/environment: The NHC (NEIGHBORHOOD HEALTH CLINIC) network is a complex network from back-office to front-end servicing end-users and patients. Within the NHC infrastructure, they are many networks communicating, sharing, and continuously moving data for NHC to be operable and serve its many patients.
- The back-office network, which shares information/emails /calendaring and operations.
- Patient/studies rooms – with Vital signs/EKG and other medical devices- for Doctor and Patient interactions/visits network- including transcribing/ dictating technologies to and from Patient charts.
- Pharmacy- a complete pharmacy that provides/shares and receives prescriptions for patients to/from Doctors and medical providers.
- Donor/ fundraising network- including Raiser’s Edge and website management
- Volunteer Network- manages/receives traffic of up to 50 various volunteers (which includes Physicians, Nurses, Vital, Dental and Non-Medical) regularly for NHC to function/operate to serve.
- Dental Network with six patient rooms moving patient’s X-ray /sensitive data on an ongoing basis. This area- includes- Dental Applications/solutions communicating with X-ray machines and other mobile devices for Dentists to serve patients.
Because of these multiple networks within NHC- communicating and sharing data in real-time. Hence, making NHC a complex infrastructure. At first, projects/tasks may seem simple if thinking of back-office users only. However, once changes affect the entire environment as a whole, things tend to take more time because of all the moving parts.
Regarding backup and rebuilding of NHC infrastructure.
Response:
Installation of backup solution management console-/server. In addition to the installation and configuration of the server, we had to create space on data to receive all data then replicate that data to the backup drive for cold storage. Within this same-billed time, we had had to create/test/troubleshoot and implement backups for all Domain controllers, File servers, Exchange server, SQL Servers, Power Server (which manage and calculates power used throughout the entire building), Print Servers for copiers and scanning servers, QS1 Pharmacy Servers and resources, Dentrix and Romexis – dental software and resources, Welch Allyn /EKG and vital resources, both Windows Remote Desktop servers servicing 50 plus volunteers. Also, desktops and laptops of our core power users who work locally
New Server Preparation and Installation
Response:
As discussed with Logan during the recovery process. Because we had to retire two of our physical (192.168.100.201 and 192.168.100.202) servers because of ransom ware (showing in the graph). Hence, we had no space to mount and install all resources/ Virtual servers needed for the network. We had to obtain a new server to be operational (labeled 192.168.100.199).
Because we are a virtual environment, the time billed was not just for the physical server but also combined with each virtual server and its specific configuration.
The amount of time by PSG “reasonable and necessary.”
On a Conference call initiated by Andrea Bland on 6/21/19. With all concerning parties on call- representing insurance company and insurer (NHC). PSG was instructed to get NHC (Neighborhood health Clinic) operational as soon as possible with the highest priority. While ransom was being negotiated/discussed and full investigation of attack occurred, considering we had been working with NHC for over eight years. Bear in mind, NHC has no in-house IT department, which meant immediately we began playing the role of In-house IT and External resource. Doing business hours, we would be onsite supporting, navigating, help end-users adapt through changes, and meet requests needs and missing data/items. While after-hours- continue to work and focus on installing servers/resources, infrastructure-wide needs/ changes, and implementation to move forward with getting the entire environment back operational soon as time permits. PSG working as an In-house and External resource to NHC increased much of the billable time needed to recover the entire environment. Again, NHC is a very complex network- there are many networks within the NHC infrastructure. (WE NEED TO EXPAND ON THIS- HAND HOLDING)
“Betterment or infrastructure improvement.”
From the onset of the project, which started on 6/22/2019. Before taking any action/work- Logan Parker from Clark Hill was advised to be instructed from the original meeting. We broke down the entire recovery in phases, and all were aware of the next and proposed hours to complete the same. NHC had no what is referred to as “Betterment or infrastructure improvement.” NHC was forced into many changes because it became a domino effect environment was being restored. Please note, the entire NHC (Back-office/MNGMT, Dental, Pharmacy, donor/fundraising, patient studies/nursing network) including emails, all data (Patient data and back-office data), current local and offsite backups, network users, security infrastructure were all encrypted and inaccessible.
Per email from Logan on 6/25/19 with Mrs. Lascheid Leslie, and Andrea Bland cc’d stating, “Can you clarify if you will be rebuilding the physical servers from scratch as well as the thin clients and virtual servers?”. Again, every step was discussed with Logan’s group at Clark Hill prior. This is what we did- every server, desktop thin client, or laptop was wiped from scratch to prevent reinfection of the environment. Hence, the entire network infrastructure had to be rebuilt; every network within the NHC infrastructure had to be rebuilt from scratch with all operating systems and settings.
In rebuilding each network from scratch, we encountered obstacles that began a domino effect throughout the environment. I.e., Windows 7 was no longer available by Microsoft for purchase- end of life 01/2020. With consultation from Logan’s group, we opt to move forward with
Windows 10 installations (licenses are at no cost to insurance would require same labor) and same is true for server operating systems too by being forced to upgrade to the latest version. A few of our internal software became no longer compliant or functional with existing hardware, which caused us to be forced to another upgrade. Hence the domino effect. The same is true for backup systems and offsite backup; they were no longer compatible. We were forced into upgrading and moving into a new version to regain what we had as a backup for offsite and local backup.
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