The Simone Veil hospital in Cannes, France, was targeted by a cyber attack orchestrated by the LockBit ransomware group, leading to significant operational disruptions and data leakage. In April, the attackers infiltrated the hospital’s systems, resulting in the encryption of sensitive data and forcing the hospital to revert to manual processes, such as using pen and paper. This cyber attack led to the postponement of non-urgent surgical procedures and consultations, affecting the hospital’s ability to provide services to the community.
Following the attack, the LockBit group claimed responsibility and subsequently published sensitive data stolen from the hospital on May 1st after the hospital refused to pay the ransom. The leaked data included confidential patient information and other sensitive hospital operational data. In response, the hospital confirmed the breach and the authenticity of the data involved. It has initiated a thorough review of the exfiltrated data and is in the process of providing detailed feedback to affected individuals and institutions.
To address the crisis, the Hospital Simone Veil has enlisted the help of multiple cybersecurity agencies including ANSSI, Cert Santé, Orange CyberDéfense, and GHT06. They are working collaboratively to investigate the incident thoroughly and to restore the hospital’s information systems. The hospital has also reported the incident to CNIL and ANSSI as part of its compliance with regulatory requirements and its commitment to transparency.
Amidst these challenges, the hospital has begun to resume normal operations and is working on restoring its information systems according to a well-defined action plan. This incident underscores the growing threat of ransomware attacks on healthcare facilities, which not only compromise sensitive data but also disrupt essential healthcare services. It also highlights the importance of robust cybersecurity measures and the need for immediate action plans to mitigate the effects of such breaches.
