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Hackers Demanding $3.6m from a Hollywood Hospital in a Ransomware Attack


One hospital in Hollywood is recording important data manually using paper and pencil following its encounter with a ransomware assault. Widely known as Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center, the hospital recently got a hacker's message that it must pay 9,000 Bitcoins for eliminating the ransomware if it wants its computers free from the attacker's control. The chief executive officer Allen Stefanek of the hospital describes the situation as certain emergency internal to the institution.

The problem got noticed after Allen Stefanek and the President of the hospital told NBC Los Angeles all the details. A doctor who remained anonymous while talking to NBC said there were significant IT problems with the PC-network of the hospital since 5th February. It was a ransomware problem and daily operations were thereby getting affected, while the hospital had to refuse fresh patients.

And though Hollywood Presbyterian is trying for eschewing any interruption from the cyber-assault, it's evident from the doctor's revelation that a ransomware assault was extremely plausible. Theindianrepublic posted this, February 16, 2016.

Luckily, there wasn't any compromise of patient information, with no intent apparent for stealing private data. The explanation for why that specific hospice became the hacker's target is little known -probably it was just vulnerable to cyber-assault- however, the attackers seek one huge payout, while the hospital possibly holding out indefinitely.

Meanwhile according to hospital authorities, they are at a joint task with FBI as well as LAPD over an investigation; however, they're still to determine the person(s) behind the assault. Both Stefanek and the President stated the assault happened arbitrarily while news outlets in the area report about the hack as giving indications of one style of ransomware bug. Although thorough information about the intrusion is yet pretty less, the culprits have asked for a $3.6m payment to hand over the key for the hospital PCs' restoration.

As per NBC Los Angeles' report, the IT-network at the hospital stands inoperable; therefore, emergency cases are being directed onto other hospitals. Currently, the hospital is following an order of shutting down computers fully, with no declaration if it would make the ransom payment should a solution be undetermined.

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