Numerous Romanian hospitals targeted by devastating ransomware attack

Over 100 healthcare facilities in Romania have been targeted in a ransomware attack, resulting in some doctors resorting to using pen and paper. The attack affected children's and emergency hospitals, and several facilities went offline as a precautionary measure. The cybercriminals responsible demanded 3.5 Bitcoin, equivalent to over £130,000, to unlock crucial files that they encrypted. Fortunately, recent backups of data by the Romanian healthcare system limited the impact of the attack. The incident, which primarily occurred overnight on Monday, targeted a widely used medical information system. IT specialists and cybersecurity experts from the National Cyber Security Directorate are investigating the incident. While the type of malware used has been identified, the group responsible for the attack has not yet been identified. Although the affected hospitals are expected to recover quickly with the help of recent backups, the impact on patients is significant, as many hospitals have had to disconnect internet-connected devices as a precaution. This can potentially affect not only bookings and records but also machines like MRI scanners. This is reminiscent of a similar attack in the UK in 2017, where 80 out of 236 hospital trusts across England were disrupted, resulting in the cancellation or rescheduling of nearly 7,000 appointments. The incident prompted the National Health Service (NHS) to acknowledge the need for improvements and implement a series of changes.