A ransomware attack on Hipocrate Information System (HIS), used by hospitals to manage medical activity and patient data knocked, impacted at least 21 hospitals in Romania forcing them offline.
The attack launched over the weekend targeted the production servers running HIS information system, resulting in the system’s database being encrypted.
The incident, currently under investigation, impacted various hospitals across Romania, including regional and cancer treatment centers, a report from the Bleeping Computer said.
There is no information on what ransomware operation targeted the hospitals’ system or if the patient’s personal or medical data was stolen. Romania’s National Cyber Security Directorate (DNSC) is currently investigating the cyber incident.
(For top technology news of the day, subscribe to our tech newsletter Today’s Cache)
Technological advancements in the healthcare industry like remote health monitoring, electronic health records and the Internet of Thins (IoT) has provided cybercriminals with more opportunities to attack the sector.
Attacks on the healthcare sector have also impacted India, with the country registered the second highest number of attacks on the sector in 2022.
Attacks on hospitals could lead to sensitive data being exposed to threat actors. This data can then be used to perform digital identity theft, online banking thefts, tax frauds and other financial crimes.