Another Canadian hospital has been hit by a cyber attack, the second in three months.
Ross Memorial Hospital in the Eastern Ontario community of Lindsay, Ontario, said in a statement today That, on the evening of Sunday, February 5, it had to declare an IT emergency due to a “suspected cyber incident” – called Code Grey.
“The hospital has retained third-party cyber security resources to work with our technical experts to investigate the incident in accordance with industry best practices,” the statement said. “Our system restoration plan is also underway, and we are in communication with our local, regional and provincial partners about next steps.”
In the meantime, it is trying to maintain delivery of vital hospital services. But patients with less urgent conditions are encouraged to consider alternative options for care, such as their primary health care provider, pharmacist, after-hours clinic, virtual care, or by calling the Telehealth Ontario Line. After-hours clinics can often treat non-urgent and minor illnesses and ailments, such as earaches, sore throats or provide prescription refills, the statement said.
The hospital is part of the Central East Local Health Integration Network in the Kawartha Lakes District. It serves an area with 100,000 inhabitants. Lindsay is the largest community in the City of Kawartha Lakes.
a local news service, Kawartha411, calls the incident a suspected ransomware attack. People in the hospital’s emergency ward reported that hospital staff could not access systems needed for treatment, while visitors and patients could not use the parking machines.
The attack on the Ross Memorial follows December ransomware attack on Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children, The LockBit gang apologized for that attack, said that its associates are not allowed to go after hospitals and some critical infrastructure, and sent data decryptors to the hospital.
Last November, an expert panel on cyber security warned the state government Some parts of Ontario’s wider public sector – which includes hospitals – struggle to keep their IT systems secure.
Its report said the provincial health ministry has established six Regional Security Operation Center (RSOC) pilots for coordinated cyber security operations.
