$3.4 Million Ransom: Hackers Attack Children’s Hospital

Extortionists demanded a ransom of $3.4 million following a cyberattack on a children’s hospital in Chicago, which resulted in the shutdown of specialized equipment designed to assist patients.

The attack on Lurie Children’s Hospital was announced at the beginning of February when IT systems had to be disconnected due to the assault, causing disruptions in regular operations and delays in medical services.

At that time, no extortion group had claimed responsibility for the attack; however, this week, the Rhysida group announced the hack of Lurie on their dark website. It was noted that the group is attempting to sell the stolen data for 60 BTC, equivalent to over $3.4 million.

Despite the incident, the hospital continues to provide medical services, striving to minimize interruptions. Delays in scheduled procedures have been reported, with ultrasound and CT results being unavailable, and prescriptions being issued on paper. The hospital adheres to a first-come, first-served principle, prioritizing emergency cases. As of February 22, efforts to restore the hospital’s systems are ongoing, and the MyChart electronic record system is still non-operational.

Children and their parents have been informed that due to the incident, staff had to resort to manual processes for patient care, leading to increased waiting times for prescription medications.

Lurie Children’s Hospital is one of the leading pediatric medical institutions in the USA, with 360 beds, more than 1,665 physicians across 70 specialties, and approximately 4,000 healthcare workers. Annually, the hospital provides care to over 200,000 children.