A medical institution in Romania has become the latest victim of a ransomware attack, where the hackers have requested payment in the form of cryptocurrency to unlock the database. The Hack has blocked the hospital from submitting its reports to the country’s insurance fund for the corresponding funding.
Botoşani Hospital Blackmailed With Bitcoin, Romanian News Reports
The Saint Gheorghe Recovery Hospital In Botoşani, located in the north-eastern part of Romania, has been the target of a ransomware attack since December, locking its medical records. In order to recover access to the files, the attackers asked to be paid in cryptocurrency.
After successfully infiltrating the servers, the hackers encrypted the data and left a note in English. According to Monitorul de Botoşani, they were asking for 3 BTC ransom (which is more than $50,000 at current exchange rates). The portal quoted a “well-informed person” on the matter.
The publication pointed out that the attack was carefully planned. Neither specialists from the Organized Crime And Terrorism Investigation Directorate nor experts from the Romanian Cybersecurity firm Bitdefender have been able to decode it.
Dr. Cătălin Dascălescu, the hospital’s managing director, informed reporters that an investigation had been launched by the police. “We hope to be able to resume medical activity at the usual level from Monday,” He added without giving further details.
Since the database has been taken, the hospital can not submit its reports on the services received in the last month (December 2022) and thus receive the corresponding payments.
Officials from the Romanian National Health Insurance House said that they are looking for a solution that will allow medical personnel to still be paid.
It is believed that hackers have gained access to the data remotely, using the systems of the company that provides the computer equipment.
This is not the first incident of this kind in the area. Romania has had its fair share of similar attacks in recent years. In the summer of 2019, four other hospitals were attacked. Ransomware attacks have also affected healthcare providers in the US, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.
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