A recent ransomware attack has caused significant disruption to 18 hospitals across Romania, putting a halt to their operations. The attack targeted the Hipocrate Information System (HIS), which is essential for managing patient care and medical records. As a result, the system is currently down, leaving hospitals struggling to maintain their usual level of care.
The patient care and medical records are currently unavailable
The attack occurred overnight between February 11 and 12, 2024, leading to encrypted databases and files. The Romanian Ministry of Health has acknowledged the severity of the situation and is actively working on a solution. Efforts to recover the affected systems are in progress, with IT and cybersecurity experts from the National Cyber Security Directorate (DNSC) leading the charge.
The impact of the ransomware attack is widespread, affecting a variety of medical facilities including regional hospitals and cancer treatment centers. To prevent further damage, the Ministry of Health has enhanced security measures for other hospitals that were not affected by the attack.
Details about the attack and compromised data remain unclear
Currently, the details about the ransomware group behind the attack or the specifics of the data compromised are not clear. The provider of the HIS system, RSC, has not yet made a public statement regarding the incident.
Incidents such as these expose the vulnerability of healthcare systems to cyberattacks and further boost the importance of robust cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive patient data and ensure the continuous operation of critical healthcare services. This is one sector that can’t afford serious downtime like these, and for obvious reasons too!
