A ransomware attack disrupted the operations of a French hospital

A French hospital called André-Mignot in Paris had to shut down its computer systems and phones after suffering a ransomware attack last week. The hospital’s supervisory board co-chairman disclosed that the ransomware operators have already demanded a ransom from them.

However, the co-chairman explained that they do not know the exact ransom amount and intend to avoid giving in to the attacker’s threats.

Currently, André-Mignot only accepts walk-ins and consultations as it had to cancel operations temporarily. Moreover, the teaching hospital was forced to transfer six patients from its ICU and neonatal units to other healthcare facilities.

The French regional health agency recommended that patients with already scheduled appointments and consultations with the affected entity should contact the doctor or department they were assigned so they could be redirected to another unit.

 

The French hospital has executed an immediate threat response that helped them stop further damage from the ransomware attack.

 

France’s Minister Delegate in charge of Digital Transition and Telecommunication explained that the French hospital has quickly isolated the compromised systems to limit the distribution of the ransomware to additional devices. Furthermore, André-Mignot notified the French National Authority for Security and Defense of Information Systems, quickly addressing their dilemma.

The French National Authority is investigating the ransomware attack for Security and Defense of Information Systems together with the Paris prosecutor’s office. Both have now opened a preliminary investigation into the hacking incident and attempted extortion after the hospital filed a formal complaint a day after the attack.

The ANSSI revealed that no other healthcare facility within France had been affected by a cyberattack. Hence, they could focus their investigation on dissecting the ransomware operation against the French entity.

The ransomware operators that targeted the André-Mignot teaching hospital are still at large and unidentified. However, numerous malicious groups globally are actively targeting healthcare organisations.

Hospitals, clinics, and healthcare providers should be careful of these current threats since numerous operations targets these entities. Healthcare staff should also watch out for phishing emails, as most ransomware attacks start from these tactics.