Armentières Hospital Hit by Ransomware Attack, Forces Closure of Emergency Rooms

In Armentières (Nord-Pas-de-Calais), the hospital center was hit by ransomware on the night of February 10 to 11, around 2 a.m. As a result, the emergency rooms were closed for 24 hours and are due to reopen this Monday. Non-urgent consultations and operations have been canceled on February 12, and only maternity emergencies remain accessible.

Ransom demands coming out of the printers

The hospital management specifies in a press release that the cyberattack was “confirmed by the printing of several ransomware messages on the establishment’s printers”. The printers already running produced documents indicating that the establishment's data was encrypted, and that the criminals needed to be contacted. The amount of the ransom was not mentioned. An hour later, the management of the establishment “voluntarily disconnected from the main hospital network” all PCs, “for security reasons”.

Shortly before 6 a.m., the establishment's managers triggered a crisis unit, leading to the closure of emergencies outside the maternity ward for 24 hours. On average, on Sunday, 100 to 120 people are seen in the emergency room. “A reception is organized to ensure perfect reorientation towards other emergency services in the area”assures the hospital, adding that “Direct investigations are underway to establish a diagnosis.”

Extent of damage to be determined

No information has been officially given as to the extent of the damage to the computer system, and whether any personal data of patients or staff was stolen. However, according to the Zataz news site, more than 100 hospital employee login credentials were stolen before being distributed on the dark web. Data exfiltrated in hacks of third-party websites, such as the Order of Physicians or real estate agencies.

“This is not the first time that a cyberattack has occurred, explained Samy Bayod, deputy director of the hospital. On the other hand, this is the first time that she has managed to pass through the protective barriers.” Hospitals are frequently targeted by hackers to carry out cyberattacks: in June 2023, the Rennes University Hospital (Ille-et-Vilaine) was targeted, leading to a leak of data and financial documents, then posted online on the dark web. In October 2023, it was the turn of the hospitals of Neufchâteau and Vittel (Vosges) to pay the price.