Israeli Hospital Hit By Ransomware Attack, 1TB Data Stolen

Cyber attackers who hit an Israeli hospital have begun releasing sensitive data that it collected in the breach.

The Ragnar Locker gang hit the Mayanei Hayeshua Medical Center in Bnei Brak, just outside Tel Aviv, in early August. In recent posts on X, formerly known as Twitter, the group claimed that it did not "run any encryption to avoid equipment malfunctions, or necessary instruments," as the victim was a medical facility.

However, they were able to take 1TB of data, which included a full SQL database and a large volume of .pst files with internal correspondence. The attackers said they were posting the first batch of files taken from the hospital, which included "a lot of personal information, internal email, finances, medical cards," and more highly sensitive data.

Reports from August claimed the attack disabled the hospital's computer systems in record keeping, and left the hospital unable to accept new patients to outpatient clinics and imaging centers at the hospital.

The attackers claimed that thanks to "serious vulnerabilities," they were able to download the data, and said they tried to alert the hospital about its network vulnerabilities.

Many medical facilities have been hit by attacks in the past, including ransomware attacks on St. Margaret's Health in Illinois and Hillel Yaffe Medical Center in Israel, both in 2021. The US Department of Health and Human Services issued an alert about Rhysida ransomware last month.