Ransomware Attack Hits Barcelona Hospital Clinic

Barcelona Hospital Clinic was hit by a ransomware attack on Sunday morning, which disrupted healthcare services after the hackers targeted the institution’s virtual machines.

The attack was attributed to the RansomHouse ransomware operation, according to a statement from the Government of Catalonia

Emergency services were also affected at three medical centers connected to the Clínic de Barcelona, including CAP Casanova, CAP Borrell, and CAP Les Corts. The government described the cyberattack as “sophisticated and complex,” with the attacker using new techniques that did not involve classic methods.

Although the hospital’s SAP system was not affected, the attack disrupted all applications and communications, preventing doctors from accessing patient information and affecting care services.

Clinic Barcelona employee using pen and paper

To deal with the situation, the hospital added more health assistants and administrative staff to minimize the impact and ensure better communication between departments.

However, around 150 non-urgent operations and 3,000 appointments scheduled for the coming weeks were canceled.

The hospital had to handle 800 emergency cases manually, which resulted in some cases being diverted to other hospitals in Barcelona.

The emergency plans are expected to remain in place for several days, and it is unclear when normal operations will resume, according to the hospital director A. Castells.

This threat group previously attacked and disclosed data from the Kerlaty Medical Health Organization in November 2022.