The Sud-Francilien hospital center (CHSF) in Corbeil-Essonnes is the victim of a computer attack which began on the night of Saturday August 20 to Sunday August 21, around 1 a.m., according to a press release from the establishment confirming information from RMC. The establishment warns that its activity is seriously disrupted.
The CHSF launched a white plan on Sunday. This attack makes “for the time being inaccessible all the hospital’s business software, storage systems (in particular medical imaging) and the information system relating to patient admissions”detailed the establishment in a press release.
The National Information Systems Security Agency (Anssi) was “quickly seized by the crisis unit”according to the same press release.
A ransom of 10 million dollars was demanded, in English, by the hacker(s), revealed a police source to Agence France-Presse. In addition, an investigation for intrusion into the computer system and for attempted extortion in an organized gang has been opened to the cybercrime section of the Paris prosecutor’s office, said the latter, who specified that the investigations were entrusted to the gendarmes of the Center fight against digital crime (C3N).
Consequences on patient care
Patients whose care requires access to the technical platform are redirected to public hospitals in Ile-de-France. Those presenting spontaneously to the emergency room “are assessed and then possibly sent to the medical care center of the Sud-Francilien hospital center”said the hospital.
For patients hospitalized at CHSF, “medico-technical services (in particular medical biology) are able to work in degraded mode in the short term”. The establishment “make every effort to maintain outpatient care”he promises, but, “on the other hand, this exceptional situation should have an impact on the activity of the operating room”.
“This attack does not impact the operation and safety of the hospital building”nevertheless reassures the CHSF, which specifies that “all networks remain in operation (telephone except for fax, automated distribution flows, etc.)”.
Last April, a cyberattack against the information system of the Cœur-Grand-Est territorial hospital group affected nine establishments, and in March, a hospital in Ajaccio had also been the victim of a “cyberattack of the type ransomware ».