100+ Romanian hospitals hit by ransomware, disrupting critical services

TLDR:

• A ransomware attack disrupted over 100 Romanian hospitals, impacting pediatric and oncology centers.
• The attack used Backmydata ransomware and demanded 3.5 BTC for decryption.

A massive ransomware attack targeted the Hipocrate Information System (HIS), disrupting operations in multiple Romanian hospitals, including cancer and pediatric centers. The attack, detected at the Pitesti Pediatric Hospital, impacted over 100 hospitals, encrypting 26 and forcing 79 to go offline. The Romanian Ministry of Health confirmed the attack, stating that files and databases were encrypted, leading to downtime and operational disruptions. Authorities are investigating the attack, advising impacted hospitals not to pay the ransom but to restore systems from backups. Backmydata ransomware, belonging to the Phobos family, targeted Remote Desktop Protocol vulnerabilities and demanded 3.5 BTC for decryption. The attack is the third cyber incident on Romanian healthcare centers using Phobos malware and is one of the largest recorded involving Backmydata ransomware. The attack vector remains undetermined, with security experts urging organizations to adopt proactive security measures to defend against evolving threats.