A group of unknown hackers carried out a ransomware attack on an Israeli hospital near Tel Aviv on Tuesday. As a result, the hospital has stopped accepting new patients and is redirecting people to nearby hospitals.
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The ransomware attack at the Mayanei Hayeshua caused the administrative systems of its computers to be blocked. However, the medical equipment was not affected by the attack.
Patients already receiving treatment at the hospital continue to receive care, but new patients and those in need of immediate care are being advised to visit other medical centers, according to Israeli media reports
"We have been busy at the hospital doing everything we can to operate normally and protect all data," the medical center wrote on Twitter.
The cyberattack has not been linked to a specific hacking group and no one has yet claimed responsibility for it. However, the country has been targeted by several politically and economically motivated groups in recent years.
See also: Chinese hackers accidentally infected a European hospital with malware
In 2021, hackers linked to China caused serious damage to the computer systems of a major medical center in Israel, Hillel Yaffe in Hadera. The ransomware attack caused problems that cost the hospital nearly $10 million to repair. The healthcare sector in Israel was the most common target in 2021 compared to other sectors.
Last May, Iranian hackers were suspected of attacking Israeli shipping and logistics companies to collect information about their users. Cybersecurity officials in Israel are blaming hackers from the Iranian government for a ransomware attack that targeted the country's top technology university.
Furthermore, Israel’s support for Ukraine has made it a target for pro-Russian hackers. Last year, for example, the Kremlin-linked XakNet group carried out a DDoS on the Israeli parliament website in retaliation for information Israel provided about Iranian drones in Ukraine.
See also: North Korean hackers breached a major hospital in Seoul
The Mayanei Hayeshua Medical Center, located in Bnei Brak, is known for providing high-quality healthcare. The hospital offers a wide range of services, including gynecology, pediatrics, surgery, and psychiatry. services also extend to mental health support, providing specialized programs for patients with mental disorders. The special attention it pays to the ethnic and religious identity of its patients makes Mayanei Hayeshua an important source of healthcare for the wider Bnei Brak community.
