The attack, which occurred last week, shut down vital systems needed for patient care, including CT scans, documentation, lab work and pharmacy needs, as well as sporadically impacting emergency room systems. There is no evidence that patient information or other personal data has been lost and it seems the motives here are purely financial.
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In an October 2015 talk unrelated to the Hollywood hospital hack, Assistant Special Agent Joseph Bonavolonta, who oversees the FBI’s Boston office, echoed how hard the hackers are to find. In this most recent incident, the hospital is working with the Los Angeles Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation to identify the attackers and release the systems from their grasp.
Ransomware scum have crippled a Hollywood hospital, bringing critical machines to a crashing halt and demanding US$3.6 million ransom.
It isn’t clear whether the hackers did indeed originally demand 9,000 bitcoins, or if original reports – which cited unnamed sources – were incorrect.
While a noble idea and a good idea, you still need security as Allen Stefanek, president and chief executive of Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center lamented yesterday.
Hospital staff noticed on February 5 that they couldn’t share communications electronically.
The hacking tactic is growing fast against both individuals and institutions, but it’s hard to say exactly how fast, and even tougher to say how many pay up. Known as ransomware, the malware encrypted critical files across the medical center’s network, including medical records, forcing staff to turn off all systems to prevent it from spreading further. Typically this type of malware attacks personal computers due to ease of access, and asks for a few hundred dollars.
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Federal investigators often discourage victims from paying the ransom, out of fear that it just encourages hackers. No doubt this is serious as the lives of patients and their privacy are at stake, and it looks like the hospital has made a decision to give in to their demands, or at least partially.
