more and more hospitals targeted by hackers

Are hacker attacks on hospitals becoming more frequent? Last year, 380 cyberattacks were counted, a figure up 70% compared to 2020. Five of them endangered the lives of patients. These attacks can paralyze the computer system of an entire hospital, as in Villefranche-sur-Saône (Rhône), last year: 3,000 computers were then shut down. In 2021, Dax hospital (Landes) also lost all patient data. The computer system must be completely overhauled. In one year, the total cost was 2,356,000 euros.

By a fraudulent link on which you click, a virus can paralyze the computer system. A ransom is then demanded by bands of highly organized hackers. “It’s completely professional. The money from piracy has now exceeded the money from drugs (…). We have cybergangs who will recover information, who will make it available and sell it to others, who themselves will reuse it”Explain Pascal Le Digol, cybersecurity expert at Watchguard. A medical file sells for up to 300 euros on the black market, much more than bank details.