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Cyberattacks against healthcare facilities doubled in 2021

2022-02-15T14:31:19.984Z


Computer security experts from the Digital Health Agency (ANS) deplore 730 incidents. Arles, Dax, AP-HP, Villefranche-sur-Saône... In 2021, the list of health establishments targeted by cybercriminals has continued to grow. The number of IT security incidents notified to the Digital Health Agency (ANS) has even doubled compared to 2020. However, 2020 was already an “ exceptional ” year, as Marc Loutrel, director of expertise and innovation at ANS, explains to Figaro . CERT Santé,


Arles, Dax, AP-HP, Villefranche-sur-Saône... In 2021, the list of health establishments targeted by cybercriminals has continued to grow.

The number of IT security incidents notified to the Digital Health Agency (ANS) has even doubled compared to 2020.

However, 2020 was already an “

exceptional

” year, as Marc Loutrel, director of expertise and innovation at ANS,

explains to

Figaro .

CERT Santé, the team responsible for responding to these cyber emergencies, received more than 730 incident reports last year, compared to 369 in 2020.

Read alsoTargeted by hackers, French hospitals sick of their cybersecurity

The pandemic has created particularly fertile ground for cyberattacks.

Health establishments, like the rest of society, have experienced forced digitization, creating a few loopholes along the way.

Since the entry point for cybercriminals is often the user, the Health Cert is required to warn institutions about exploitable flaws before they are exploited.

"

We identify the IP addresses of establishments in the sights of hackers and warn them so that they implement the necessary protective measures, when this is not already the case

", sums up Marc Loutrel.

2,000 alerts were sent to these establishments, up 150% over one year.

Financial and political objectives

But who is targeting our healthcare establishments today?

These are often hackers from different parts of the world.

Certain bundles of evidence lead to Eastern Europe

,” explains the expert.

Behind these attacks there is often a financial objective, and, to a lesser extent, a political one

”.

For malicious organizations, health data is real black gold that sells for a lot on the dark web.

Data leaks are on the rise.

In February 2021, 500,000 French medical files were put up for sale after being looted from the bases of Breton and Norman laboratories.

A case of “

particular gravity

”, as noted at the time by Louis Dutheillet de Lamothe, secretary general of the national commission for data processing and freedoms (Cnil).

deadly attacks

In addition to risks to patient data, these attacks can have even more dramatic consequences.

One person died while a hospital was paralyzed by a cyberattack

,” recalls the ANS.

A 78-year-old German patient died in Düsseldorf, Germany.

His care had been considerably slowed down by the paralysis of the hospital's computer systems.

An investigation by the Cologne public prosecutor's office was opened for manslaughter, but the charges against the hackers were dropped.

"

According to the report issued by the doctors, the victim's illness was so serious that she would have died in any case

", justified the German prosecutor in charge of this case.

Fraudulent health passes

In France, 34 incidents endangered the lives of patients in 2020 according to the ANS annual report.

On this point, the assessment of the year 2021 is not yet known but it looks similar.

The organization points out that certain establishments targeted by hackers such as the CHU of Arles have "

returned to paper

", with a lot of consequences on the management of emergencies.

The beginning of this year 2022 does not look much better.

We must not believe that the threat will diminish

,” warns Marc Loutrel.

The health crisis has also paved the way for another lucrative business for criminals.

A veritable trade in fraudulent health passes – sold for several hundred euros each – has emerged.

Some were born from the complacency of caregivers, others were generated thanks to hacks by the Order of Doctors and that of pharmacists.

The systems of these organizations had “

small gaps in terms of security

”, admits Marc Loutrel.

The Ministry of Health also announced a few days ago

to "drop

" 300,000 of these false sesames.

SEE ALSO -

Fake health passes, the new state-led hunt

Source: lefigaro

All news articles on 2022-02-15

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