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A severe ransomware cyberattack on Monday morning plunged 18 hospitals in Romania into chaos, rendering them incapable of reporting medical services and leaving patients stranded in emergency rooms.
The attackers targeted the Hipocrate Information System which is used by Romanian hospitals to collect patient data and manage other activities. The database is now offline.
After the news broke, the authorities quickly intervened and an investigation was launched.
The National Directorate of Cyber Security (DNSC) came out with a statement on the issue. “Currently, a team of DNSC specialists has travelled to the scene to investigate the cyber incident. Several hospitals are affected by the attack,” said the press release by DNSC. “We will return with details as we obtain more information about the affected entities. We recommend that hospital IT teams not be contacted so that they can focus on restoring IT and data services! This is the priority at the moment.”
Romanian health ministry reported these hospitals to be severely affected:
- Emergency Hospital of Plastic, Reconstructive and Burn Surgery Bucharest
- Azuga Orthopaedics and Traumatology Hospital
- Baia Mare Emergency Hospital
- Sf. Apostol Andrei County Clinical Emergency Hospital, Constanța
- Prof. Dr. Al. Trestioreanu Oncology Institute, Bucharest (IOB)
- Dr. Alexandru Gafencu Military Emergency Hospital, Constanța
- Sighetu Marmației Municipal Hospital
- Targoviste County Emergency Hospital
- C.F. Clinic Hospital No. 2, Bucharest
- Fundeni Clinical Institute
- Regional Oncology Institute Iași (IRO Iași)
- Buzău County Emergency Hospital
- Slobozia County Emergency Hospital
- Timișoara Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases
- St. Luca Chronic Diseases Hospital
- Colțea Clinical Hospital
- Medgidia Municipal Hospital
- Pitești County Emergency Hospital
There may be more hospitals affected by the attack. “We don’t know exactly how many hospitals there are right now. We do not have the information, but we work together with the National Center for Cyber Security to elucidate the causes and remedy them. From the information we have so far, it is that between 15 and 20 hospitals across the country are affected,” said Alexandru Rafila, Romanian Minister of Health.
At the time of reporting, no ransomware group has taken responsibility for the attack.
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