The André-Mignot Hospital in Versailles fell victim to a cyberattack. As a precaution, several IT systems were taken offline. Six patients have been transferred to nearby locations.
The attack took place on Saturday evening, according to news channel Franceinfo. Health Minister François Braun visited the hospital on Sunday. Braun said that the intensive care unit needed extra staff because its systems were disconnected from the network.
Parts of the ICT environment have been shut down as a precaution. The cyberattack lead to a “total reorganization of the hospital”, Braun said. A hacking group reportedly laid claim to the attack, but the group’s identity wasn’t disclosed. The André-Mignot Hospital houses about 700 beds and 3,000 employees.
The organization reported the attack to Parisian cyberauthorities on Sunday. “The prosecution has launched a preliminary investigation into state data hacking and attempted extortion,” Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported. Technical details are scarce, but all signs point to ransomware.
Twice in a row
In August, the Centre Hospitalier Sud Francilien (CHSF) near Paris fell victim to a ransomware attack. Recovery took weeks. The attack was claimed by LockBit 3.0, the ransomware group responsible for several recent incidents, including a data breach at the Italian tax authority and a break-in at IT giant Thales.
LockBit 3.0 demanded $10 million in ransom. The hospital refused to pay, after which the personal data of patients and employees was published on the darkweb.
The investigation into the most recent attack is ongoing. It’s not clear whether the attackers of the André-Mignot Hospital stole data. The organization set up a crisis team in cooperation with the French government. More patients may have to be transferred, Minister Braun said.
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