A Ransomware Assault During The Mpox OutBreak Affected South Africa's National Health Laboratory.
As the Nation fights Mpox outbreak, South Africa's National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) stated on Tuesday that it is coping with a ransomware attack that is seriously disrupting the distribution of test results.
In South Africa, the NHLS has 265 Laboratories that offer testing services to public health care facilities in each of the nine provinces. The spokes man would not specify whether a ransome will be paid or which ransomware gang was responsible for the attack.
Officials are unsure of when systems will be restored, according to a statement from CEO Koleka Mlisana. Data bases containing patients information were not lost or hacked, according to the preliminary findings of an investigation. Certain components of the agency's I.T systems were targeted by an unnamed ransomware strain, " rendering them inaccessible and blocking communication" between Data bases and users.
Until the environment's integrity is protected and restored, he stated, " all our systems remain inaccessible both internally and externally, including to and from health care facilities." Every user will understand that the NHLS networked laboratory system is highly dependent on these disrupted information technology systems, Mlisana said.
An incident response team has been assembled to handle the attack, and officials have shut down some systems to fix the damage. Additionally, other cybersecurity companies have been enlisted to help with the attack.
This year, ransomware gangs have made it a point to target important components of health care systems worldwide, with multiple attacks having a significant negative effect on patients. A ransomware attack on a major company that provides pathology services to hospitals and nearby clinic has forced the UK to halt thousands of operations in recent weeks.
