Hackers from overseas attacked computer systems at two medical offices in New York’s 23rd Congressional District recently.

Patient records weren’t compromised, but the Olean Medical Group and the Seneca Nation Health System can no longer access their own digital files. Both have resorted to pen-and-paper recordkeeping.

“Ransomware” attacks like these have become common in recent years. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has reported about 4,000 daily attacks since early 2016. Hackers have thrown municipal services into disarray in Atlanta and Baltimore. In 2017, Erie County Medical Center (ECMC) suffered an attack from hackers demanding $30,000. ECMC refused, but the attack cost some $10 million in lost revenue and expenses related to overhauling its computer systems and staff overtime.

“This incident demonstrates that cybersecurity is not only a national security issue, it affects our local economy and health care,” said Tracy Mitrano, a candidate for Congress in the 23rd Congressional District and a cybersecurity expert. “Congress must pay attention to these issues and not leave them up to either the technology experts or the criminals, because everyone else-citizens and patients-loses in the process.”