A children’s hospital in Chicago, Lurie Children’s Hospital, has fallen victim to a ransomware attack, with the cybercriminals demanding a substantial $3.4 million ransom. The Rhysida ransomware-as-a-service group, known for targeting the healthcare sector, is responsible for the attack, which has forced the hospital to take its entire network offline. While the hospital remains open and continues to provide care with minimal disruptions, some appointments and elective surgeries had to be canceled. The institution is currently grappling with manual processes due to the cyber disruption, leading to longer wait times for prescription requests.
Lurie Children’s Hospital, a major pediatric healthcare organization in the Midwest, serves a significant number of children each year and specializes in treating children with cancer and blood disorders. Despite the severity of the attack, the hospital is actively working on system recovery. However, as of the latest update on February 22, the MyChart electronic records system remains down. Patients are advised to bring printed insurance cards and medication information due to the ongoing cyber disruption. The Rhysida ransomware group, known for previous attacks on 16 hospitals in the U.S., is attempting to sell the stolen data from Lurie Children’s Hospital for 60 bitcoins, highlighting the escalating threats faced by the healthcare sector.
