For some reason – maybe because of movies and television, I don’t know – hackers can kind of seem morally neutral. Like, sometimes they’re hacking things for good, right? To spread information?
Sometimes, maybe, but I don’t think anyone hacking a children’s hospital could be mistaken for a good guy.
The hacker(s) took down the Chicago hospital’s computer system, which made accessing medical records and prescriptions a total nightmare.
The system has since been taken offline while staff finds a way to restore it. The hospital is finding ways to stay open and operational while they figure it out.
The Chicago hospital released a statement on their particular situation.
“We recognize the concern and inconvenience the systems outage may cause our patient-families and community providers, and are working diligently to resolve this matter as quickly and effectively as possible.”
This is not the first time hackers have targeted health infrastructure, and the increases in these types of attacks have disrupted patient care for thousands across the States.
In 2021, another Illinois hospital had to shut down after a hack prevented it from filing insurance claims. In Alabama, a baby died after a hospital there was hit with a ransomware attack.
Last Thanksgiving, hospitals in New Jersey, New Mexico, and Oklahoma were hacked and couldn’t receive ambulances to emergency rooms, and before that, a children’s hospital in Toronto was targeted as well.
If anything it clear, it’s that these attacks are only growing in number, and are unlikely to stop anytime soon.
Healthcare systems are going to have to step up their dedication to cybersecurity or there’s no doubt more patient’s information – and maybe their lives – will be at serious risk.
If you enjoyed that story, check out what happened when a guy gave ChatGPT $100 to make as money as possible, and it turned out exactly how you would expect.
Source: https://twistedsifter.com/2024/03/hackers-targeted-the-computer-system-of-a-childrens-hospital-and-this-wasnt-the-first-time/