Hospital cyberattack forces transfer of critically ill patients

A French hospital has been forced to transfer intensive care patients after suffering a suspected ransomware attack over the weekend, local media reports.

The André-Mignot hospital in Versailles had to move three patients in critical condition and a like number from its neonatal unit after the attack, a health minister told France24.

Local health agency the ARS reported on Monday that the facility had also been forced to cease all its core operations and was struggling to maintain basic walk-in services.

Francois Braun of the Ministry of Health said that while the intensive-care machines were in and of themselves unaffected by the cyberattack, extra staff had to be called in to monitor them as they were no longer connected to the hospital network.

Braun added that the same hospital had fended off previous similar assaults in recent months, while authorities in Paris have opened an investigation into the hacking of state-held data with the motive of extortion, suggesting a ransomware attack.