France’s health ministry announced that the Hospital Centre of Versailles was hit by a ransomware attack over the weekend.
Hospital Centre of Versailles which includes André-Mignot teaching hospital, Richaud Hospital and the Despagne Retirement Home canceled operations and transferred some patients due to the ransomware attack which occurred on Saturday evening.
Richard Delepierre, the co-chairman of the hospital’s supervisory board, said that the attackers responsible for the attack have already demanded a ransom, but they do not intend to pay it.
The hospital now accepts walk-ins and consultations only as it had to partially cancel operations. It was also forced to transfer six patients from its neonatal and intensive care units to other healthcare facilities, according to France’s Minister of Health and Prevention François Braun.
The Ile-de-France Regional Health Agency (ARS) advised patients with already scheduled consultations or planned interventions (e.g., surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy) to reach out to their doctor or the department they were assigned, who will redirect them to an available treatment unit.
Jean-Noël Barrot, the Minister Delegate in charge of Digital Transition and Telecommunications, said the hospital immediately isolated the infected systems to limit the spread of the malware to additional devices.
The French National Authority for Security and Defense of Information Systems (ANSSI) has been alerted about the attack and the incident is being investigated by ANSSI and the Paris prosecutor’s office.
ARS assured that no other health facility in the region has been impacted by this cyberattack.
While the ransomware gang behind the attack on the André-Mignot hospital remains unknown, multiple gangs are known for targeting healthcare organizations.
U.S. federal authorities have previously warned of threat actors deploying Maui and Zeppelin ransomware payloads in attacks against Healthcare and Public Health (HPH) organizations.
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