SickKids ransomware attack

LockBit has apologized for a ransomware attack at SickKids hospital.

The attack first came to the hospital’s attention on December 18th. It impacted patient care and led to delays in teams accessing lab and imaging results. The Toronto institution is the largest pediatric hospital in Canada.

The apology, first spotted by cybersecurity analyst Dominic Alvieri on December 31st, says a LockBit “partner” was behind the attack.

“We formally apologize for the attack on sikkids.ca [sic],” the statement states. LockBit provided the medical institution with a free decryptor after the attack encrypted some systems at the hospital.

SickKids is aware of a statement from a ransomware group offering a decryptor to restore systems impacted by the cybersecurity incident on December 18. Read more: https://t.co/clU1IqK7Qh pic.twitter.com/H9S4ERgih7

— SickKids_TheHospital (@SickKidsNews) January 1, 2023

SickKids acknowledged the apology in a January 1st statement and stated they’re working with a third party to validate the decryptor. The hospital has already restored 60 percent of its systems.

“There is no evidence to date that personal information or personal health information has been impacted. SickKids has not made a ransomware payment,” the statement states.

Source: Dominic Alvieri/ SickKids

A ransomware attack at the Hospital for Sick Children is leading to longer patient wait times.

Teams are facing delays in accessing lab and imaging results, and it could be weeks before systems are back to functioning at a normal pace.

“Clinical and operational teams are implementing backup procedures for systems that are not yet accessible,” the hospital says in a December 22nd statement.

The Toronto hospital says it became aware of the attack on December 18th and was prepared to quickly handle the evolving situation.

“SickKids has been preparing for attacks of this nature and mobilized quickly to mitigate potential impacts to the continuity of care. We have rapidly engaged with third-party expert organizations and law enforcement to bring a resolution to the situation as quickly as possible.”

There’s no evidence the breach impacted personal information.

Image credit: Shutterstock

Source: SickKids