Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center has been hit with ransomware, a type of malware which makes files inaccessable until the ransom is paid. In this case, the attackers are demanding $3.6 million to restore file access.
Although the hospital assures us that no patient data has been accessed or stolen, this attack demonstrates that stealing data is not the only problem that comes from cyberattacks. In this case, the operations of the hospital are being disrupted and patients are being impacted. TechTimes reports:
[S]ome patients had to be transferred to other hospitals, as some of the medical equipment that need computers at the Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center were rendered inoperable, including apparatuses for X-ray and CT scans, documentation and pharmacy and lab work.The details of the attack have not been released. As TechTimes reports, this type of attack usually starts with a spearphishing attack.