A ransomware gang has demanded a hefty sum of $3.4 million following an attack on Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago, compelling staff to resort to manual processes to ensure patient care.
The cyber assault on Lurie Children’s Hospital was disclosed earlier this month, prompting officials to take their entire network offline due to an unspecified “cybersecurity matter.”
The Rhysida ransomware-as-a-service group, emerging in May last year and previously disrupting 16 hospitals across the U.S., has now included Lurie on its darknet extortion site.
As one of the largest pediatric healthcare organizations in the Midwest, Lurie serves 239,000 children annually and treats more children with cancer and blood disorders than any other hospital in Illinois.
Despite the attack, the hospital continues to provide care to patients with minimal disruptions, although some appointments and elective surgeries were canceled.
As of the latest update on February 22, efforts are ongoing to restore the hospital’s systems, and the MyChart electronic records system remains offline.
Patients and parents are advised of the manual processes in place due to the cyber disruption, resulting in longer wait times for prescription requests.
Lurie’s website urges patients to bring printed insurance cards and medication bottles or lists to appointments.
The ransomware group responsible for the attack is attempting to sell stolen data from the institution for 60 bitcoins, equivalent to over $3.4 million.
