Romanian hospital targeted in ransomware attack The perpetrators cracked the database in search of payment in cryptocurrencies. This hack prevents medical institutions from reporting to the national health insurance fund to receive proper funding.
Botosani hospital extorted in Bitcoin, Romanian media reports
I was targeted by hackers who claimed to be paid in cryptocurrency to restore access to my files. After compromising the
server, they encrypted the data and left a message in English demanding a ransom of 3 BTC (at current exchange rates he is over $50,000). rice field. reported on Tuesday, cited by the English-language portal Romania Insider.
Attacks are well prepared, the publication notes. Neither computer experts from the Organized Crime and Terrorism Investigation Service nor experts working for Romanian cybersecurity firm Bitdefender were able to decipher the information.
The hospital’s managing director, Dr. Catalin Daskarescu, told journalists that law enforcement had launched an investigation. “We hope to resume medical activities at normal capacity from Monday,” he added, without giving further details. Inability to submit reports for services performed in the last month of the year and receive respective payments.
However, an official at Romania’s National Health Insurance Company said it was working on a solution that would allow medical staff to receive their salaries.
Investigators believe the hackers accessed the data remotely through the systems of the company responsible for maintaining the computing equipment.
This is not the first such hacking incident in Romania in recent years. In the summer of 2019, her four other hospitals were targeted in similar fashion. US hospitals and healthcare providers have also fallen victim to ransomware attacks following the Covid-19 pandemic.
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