Hackers hacked into 110 nursing homes in the U.S. and demanded $14 million in Bitcoin

According to TNW, hackers recently attacked computers at 110 nursing homes across the United States and demanded $14 million worth of Bitcoin to unlock the systems, which undoubtedly put the lives of patients at risk.

Virtual Healthcare Providers Inc. (VCPI) told CNBC that hackers used Ryuk ransomware to encrypt all data managed by its customers. The company is estimated to maintain approximately 80,000 computers and servers in 45 states in the United States to support medical facilities.

Ryuk is a Trojan virus that encrypts files on a computer network and then demands a Bitcoin ransom to decrypt them. Back in January, the group behind Ryuk made $3.7 million in just five months.

VCPI's CEO said the attack affected almost all of its core products, including internet access, bills, phone calls, emails and customer records. After some facilities were attacked, medical staff were unable to update drugs and place orders, which would result in the inability to replenish drugs in a timely manner. In addition, VCPI's salary system was also ransomed, and employees asked when their salaries would be paid.

The investigation showed that the first intrusion of VCPI may have occurred in September 2018, and the Ryuk ransomware was deployed on November 15.

As early as October, some hospitals in the United States were also attacked by the ransomware and eventually chose to pay Bitcoin ransom to restore access to key files. VCPI said it could not afford such a high Bitcoin ransom. (Webmaster's Home)