Katholische Hospitalvereinigung Ostwestfalen (KHO) confirmed a Lockbit ransomware attack on three German hospitals, affecting operations severely on December 24, 2023. The cyberattack encrypted crucial data within the IT infrastructure, prompting an immediate shutdown and notification to relevant entities.
Investigations are ongoing to assess the attack’s extent and determine potential data theft. The impacted hospitals—Franziskus Hospital Bielefeld, Sankt Vinzenz Hospital Rheda-Wiedenbrück, and Mathilden Hospital Herford—operate with hundreds of beds and staff across various specialized departments. Although patient care and clinic operations remain functional with technical constraints, emergency services are redirected elsewhere, causing potential critical delays.
Despite successful data restoration from backups, the cyberattack’s impact on patient data security remains uncertain, as the Lockbit gang hasn’t listed KHO on its dark web extortion portal. This lack of confirmation about data theft heightens concerns regarding potential compromises to patient information and sensitive records.
