Cyber Attack Hits Hospital, Hackers Demand $3.4m Ransom

Cyber Attack Hits Hospital

Computer systems at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center were offline for more than a week following a ransomware cyber attack which prevented medical staff and patients from accessing critical data, leaving many fearing that the daily runnings of the hospital were put at risk.

CEO Allen Stefanek said hackers behind the brutal cyber attack initially demanded $3.4m (£2.4m) to provide the decryption key needed to regain access to the data. The hospital finally paid a $17,000 ransom to the hackers, viewing this as the fastest way for the hospital to regain control of its digital data.

Despite concerns, the hospital claims that day-to-day operations were not affected, and no medical records were exposed to the hackers. Many tasks normally performed on computer however are having to be carried out on paper, and patients are also being told they must now travel to pick up medical test results in person, instead of receiving them electronically.

Unfortunately, ransomware attacks are becoming increasingly common. Cyber attacks such as these are giving healthcare organisations all over the world a great reason to tighten up their security measures – with many organisations moving their IT systems to a cloud-based alternative.

Investing in an enterprise-grade security system that is specifically designed to protect cloud environments, not only ensures all files are securely encrypted but can also prevent such occurrences from happening. In addition to the proven security benefits, adopting a cloud solution for storing and sharing large data files and medical images can provide hospitals with huge cost savings, whilst dramatically improving efficiency and productivity.

Datastore365’s safe and secure cloud services can provide your business with peace of mind, allowing you to rest assured that your data is protected against a cyber attack that could be detrimental to your organisation. Get in touch to find out more.

Call the Cloud Specialists today on 08000 481 848.