French hospitals cut internet connection after a data extortion

GHT Cœur Grand Est Hospitals and Health Care, a hospital network located in Northeast France consisting of nine locations, 6,000 employees, and approximately 3,370 beds, has been forced to cut internet connectivity in two locations after hackers stole data in attempted extortion on April 19.

The attackers succeeded in infiltrating the networks of its Vitry-le-François and Saint-Dizier hospitals. The French hospital group has immediately disconnected all incoming and outgoing internet connections from its establishments to protect and secure IT systems and data. This disrupted the services, including online appointment booking, payroll, and other support functions.

A statement said that the stolen information is “essentially administrative computer data.” However, the group reportedly warned the users and partners of potential follow-on phishing and vishing attacks in the coming days and weeks.

However, local reports claimed that after the healthcare organization didn’t show the intention to pay a reported $1.3m ransom demand, some files from Vitry-le-François hospital with social security details, banking information, and patient letters, were posted to a dark website by the attackers. Reportedly, the incident will take weeks or months to remediate fully.

Notably, French hospitals were a popular target for ransomware actors during the pandemic. In February 2021, three hospitals in the Lyon region were compromised by online extortionists.