The Ministry of Health has confirmed a ransomware-type cyberattack, as a result of which 15 hospitals in Romania were left without access to the HIS computer system, which was the target of the attack, its files and databases being encrypted, so patient information is most likely inaccessible .
The Ministry of Health does not say if there were backups of the data, which were not affected, but it says that protective measures were taken for the hospitals that use the HIS system and they were not affected, so as not to end up in a situation where patient information is encrypted.
The Ministry of Health Confirms a Ransomware Cyber Attack, which Paralyzed 15 Hospitals
During the night of February 11 to 12, 2024, a massive cyber ransomware attack took place on the production servers on which the HIS IT system runs. As a result of the attack, the system is down, files and databases are encrypted.
The medical facilities affected by the cyber attack are:
- Emergency Clinical Hospital for Plastic Surgery, Repair and Burns Bucharest
- Azuga Orthopedics and Traumatology Hospital
- The County Emergency Hospital "Dr. Constantin Opris" Baia Mare
- The County Emergency Clinical Hospital "St. Apostle Andrei" Constanța
- The Oncological Institute "Prof. Dr. Al. Trestioreanu" Bucharest (IOB)
- The Military Emergency Hospital "Dr. Alexandru Gafencu" Constanta
- Sighetu Marmatiei Municipal Hospital
- Târgoviște County Emergency Hospital
- CF Clinical Hospital no. 2 Bucharest
- Fundeni Clinical Institute
- Regional Institute of Oncology Iasi (IRO Iasi)
- Buzau County Emergency Hospital
- Slobozia County Emergency Hospital
- Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases Timișoara
- St. Luke's Hospital for Chronic Diseases
- Colțea Clinical Hospital
- Medgidia Municipal Hospital
- Pitesti County Emergency Hospital
The incident is under investigation by IT specialists, including cyber security experts from the National Cyber Security Directorate, and resumption possibilities are being assessed. Also, exceptional prevention measures were activated for the other hospitals that were not affected by the attack.
The Ministry of Health, in partnership with the institutions in the field, carefully monitors the situation in order to remedy the dysfunctions as quickly as possible. In all hospitals where this type of computer system operates, safety measures have been taken: limiting the Internet, saving data on external media, etc.
The situation is dynamic, we will come back with details.
