A hospital has paid off hackers who installed a virus that encrypted its computer files then demanded a ransom payment.
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Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center announced the breach of its computer network and its choice to pay the hackers for a decryption key in a Wednesday statement.
A typical attack starts when a person opens an emailed link or attachment.
The Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center is now unable to manage patients according to a report by a local Fox affiliate.
Stefanek said that computer experts and law enforcement were informed immediately and ten days after the attack, the network was in full operation again. The ransomware has taken the connected medical devices and portals offline, as well. There were also reports that ambulances had been diverted from the hospital.
Alan Stefanek, the CEO and president of Hollywood Presbyterian, told NBC reporters that the cyberattack on his hospital was “random” and not malicious.
Ransomware victims just have two choices: either pay the ransom or permanently lose access to their files.
While it is unusual for businesses hit by hackers to pay ransoms, Stefanek reasoned it best to do so in this case.
An FBI spokesperson confirmed to the Associated Press the extortion plot is being investigated. The Federal Bureau of Investigation warned in June that ransomware is growing, and that its Internet crime complaint center received 992 complaints about one specific type of ransomware called CryptoWall between April 2014 and June 2015. The agency said that it is “targeting these offenders and their scams”.
Ransomware attacks, in which hackers lock your computer or keyboard until you pay a ransom, are on the rise. When data is locked up in this fashion, it’s virtually impossible to retrieve without key codes held by the hacker.
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The style of attack, known as ransomware, has become increasingly common, affecting companies, organizations and individuals. If the ransom is not paid in time, all the data will forever remain encrypted.
