The Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, one of Barcelona main hospitals, was hit with a ransomware attack over the weekend that crippled the facility’s computer system used by numerous laboratories, clinics and emergency room, Associated Press reports.
Following the attack, 150 nonurgent operations and up to 3,000 patient checkups were cancelled, because personnel can’t access patients’ clinical records. The hospital’s press department said that all written work was being done on paper and that the hospital was diverting new urgent cases to other hospitals in the city.
Antoni Castells, the hospital director, said that there’s no timeline on restoring the services, but the institution’s contingency plan would allow them to function for several days.
According to the regional Catalonian Cybersecurity Agency, the attack was orchestrated from outside of Spain by a group called “Ransom House.” Officials said that the ransomware group used new techniques in the attack, but didn’t elaborate on the matter.
Segi Marcén, telecommunications secretary for the regional Catalonia government, said that no ransom demand has yet been received but that no money would be paid even if there was a ransom demand.
Earlier this week, European police arrested suspected core members of the DoppelPaymer ransomware gang responsible for multiple devastating cyberattacks against victims worldwide, including the attack on the Duesseldorf University Clinic that led to death of a patient.