NHK


 

A hospital in Osaka says it has suspended non-emergency outpatient services and operations following a ransomware cyberattack on its electronic medical record system. The facility has 36 departments and 865 beds.

Osaka General Medical Center officials told reporters on Monday that the system failed around 7 a.m. and cannot be accessed.

They said a contractor who examined the failure said the system was apparently attacked by a ransomware computer virus.

Ransom software encrypts victims' data, rendering it inaccessible. Hackers typically will offer to unlock it in return for payment.

The hacker reportedly sent an e-mail written in English to the hospital's server, saying all files had been encrypted.

The hacker demanded the hospital pay a ransom in Bitcoin, and warned that the amount would depend on how soon the hospital responded.

The officials said staff are now using paper medical records, and normal operations probably won't be restored any time soon.

The hospital's director, Shimazu Takeshi, said hospital staff are working hard to restore the system. He apologized to patients and other stakeholders for the trouble and inconvenience.