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鈥淪haron,鈥� a newly minted mental health therapist in Western Maryland, applied for her license with the state in November, sending in the required paperwork and payment.
She was eager to get her new career off the ground, particularly since she has graduate school bills 鈥� and other expenses 鈥� piling up, and she has clients lined up for counseling sessions.
Days after she applied, on Dec. 4, the state Department of Health was hit by what officials will only describe as an 鈥渋ncident,鈥� generally assumed to be a cyberattack. They have offered few details since, citing the need to protect the ongoing investigation. They have said the impact on daily operations has been significant.
Sharon (who asked to be identified only by her first name) knew about the attack from checking the health department鈥檚 website frequently. Still, she said it was frustrating to wait weeks for her license to come through, unsure when 鈥� or whether 鈥� it would arrive.
鈥淚 drained my whole account in December, thinking I鈥檇 have a job to go right to 鈥� and I don鈥檛, because I can鈥檛 until I get this license,鈥� she said on Monday. 鈥淚 spent six years in grad school to get this degree, and it鈥檚 like there are no answers.鈥�
Sharon wasn鈥檛 financially destitute, because the institutions where she did her fellowship training kept her on in a support role. But she said the agency鈥檚 failure to provide more guidance is difficult on people waiting for their licenses to arrive.
鈥淭here are so many people in my boat, not just counseling 鈥� from nursing, occupational therapy, et cetera,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e not telling the public what鈥檚 going on. 鈥� Nobody鈥檚 going to be patient for much longer.鈥�
In a posting online, the Maryland Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists called the IT outage a 鈥渃risis鈥� 鈥� and unlike the health department,聽聽as a 鈥渃yber attack.鈥�
鈥淲e only regained access to our database at the end of last week,鈥� the board wrote. 鈥淎fter the cyber attack, many of our licensees were not able to renew their licenses because the staff could not update their background check status in the system.鈥�
Andy Owen, deputy director of communications at the Department of Health, said in an email that the state鈥檚 independent boards and commissions issue licenses 鈥渨ith their own systems.鈥�
鈥淪ince the network security incident, some are using a mix of paper and technology-based processes,鈥� he said. 鈥淔or example, the Maryland Board of Nursing is developing alternative procedures for candidates for initial licensure as a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse who are affected by temporary system outages.鈥�
Others have not been affected as greatly, he added, such as the psychology board and massage board, which are still processing applications through their website.
License-holders seeking renewals have not been impacted as significantly as first-time applicants. State officials have said that practitioners who sought renewal within two weeks of the end of the 30-day grace period the state offers can continue to practice.
Many people like Sharon are turning to state lawmakers for assistance.
Sen. Cheryl K. Kagan (D-Montgomery), chair of the Senate鈥檚 health subcommittee, said she had a constituent 鈥渨ho had a job offer, literally had passed everything, checked all the boxes, submitted her paperwork鈥� 鈥� only to be held up by a long delay in obtaining her license.
鈥淪he was going to lose access to a job that would help her support her family because someone wasn鈥檛 doing their administrative task correctly and in a timely manner,鈥� said Kagan. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a problem that needs to be addressed.鈥�
Two legislative committees 鈥� one from the Senate, one from the House 鈥� will hold a hearing into the health department鈥檚 cyber attack next week.
Although the agency has indicated it needs to discuss sensitive details in closed session, Senate Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee Chair Paul G. Pinsky (D-Prince George鈥檚) said it鈥檚 important that the public gain as full a picture as possible.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to try to keep as much in public (as we can),鈥� he said. 鈥淭here are some things they have to respond to and explain and justify. 鈥� I also don鈥檛 want to jeopardize any security.鈥�
In a December briefing for legislative leaders, top agency officials said they needed to take their computer systems down 鈥� and isolate them from the mainframe 鈥� to avoid the potential spread of malicious code.
鈥淚f you get a cyber attack of some type, it鈥檚 going to cause problems,鈥� Pinsky acknowledged. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 control the hacks. 鈥� It鈥檚 created a problem for a lot of people in a lot of the health occupations.鈥�
In a recent update, Tony W. Torain, executive director of the counselors and therapists board, wrote, 鈥淚 am pleased to report that our IT staff has been able to create a 鈥榳orkaround鈥� so that we are now able to update the licensees鈥� files with background check information. The staff is updating that information as quickly as they can but it will take some time to complete the task.鈥�
On Tuesday, Sharon received her license via email.
