The Asst Rhodense, which includes the hospitals of Garbagnate, Bollate and Rhowas recently hit by a serious cyber attack which compromised information systems, forcing the suspension of numerous non-urgent surgeries and other healthcare services.
The disservice also involved the Passirana facilities, the community houses, the connected clinics and the RSA Pertini, generating a situation of emergency which required the activation of extraordinary measures to guarantee essential services.
There confusion it also concerns the causes: there are no claims to date from criminals nor any other technical information.
The reaction of the ASST and the support of the Regional Task Force
“We have had problems since last night and we are taking action as is done in these cases, also through the regional task force to restore everything as soon as possible”, declared Marco Bosio, general director of Asst Rhodense, to Adnkronos Salute referring to the night between Wednesday and Thursday. While waiting for the restoration of the information systems, currently blocked, hospitals are guaranteeing emergencies via paper mode. This temporary adaptation allowed the emergency room to remain operational, albeit with limitations. To better manage the influx of patients, the Regional Emergency Urgency Agency (Areu) was invited to divert ambulances to other facilities, thus avoiding overloading the structures already in difficulty.
On a technical level it is not yet possible to outline the nature of the attack, although everything (considering the statements on the impacts) would suggest ransomware. Furthermore, at present, no criminal gang has yet claimed responsibility for a similar attack.
Surgical interventions and outpatient activities: what changes
Urgent surgical activities continue to be guaranteed, while scheduled ordinary operations have been temporarily suspended. Outpatient activity continues as much as possible, with professionals working with paper reports for scheduled visits.
However, some specialist services, such as nuclear medicine (for example Moc), radiology (CAT scans, MRIs, x-rays and mammograms) and laboratory analysis (including blood tests), have been suspended.
Information for users: welcome and available services
A welcome service has been organized in each facility to inform users and take care of any requests. The provision of outpatient services already scheduled was guaranteed, except those suspended due to technical problems. Tao patients on oral anticoagulant therapy can contact the reception at the hospitals in Bollate, Garbagnate and Rho for information on how to carry out the tests necessary for managing the therapy.
The Lombardy Region promptly involved Aria and activated the regional Cyber Security Task Force. The National Cybersecurity Agency was also alerted, which will send a team to facilitate the recovery actions of the IT systems. In the meantime, the Milanese postal police, supported by the Anti-Cyber Crime Center for the Protection of Critical Infrastructures (CNAIPIC) of the postal police and cyber security service, is collecting information useful for reconstructing the dynamics of the attack.
At the moment it is not possible to estimate the recovery times of the company network. Uncertainty persists, but the dedication of healthcare personnel and the support of the competent authorities are a beacon of hope for a rapid return to normality. Cases like these highlight the importance of carrying out training plans for workers in contact with devices connected to the Internet. In fact, let us remember that most attacks that generate impacts of this type often begin with a banal phishing attack which, if not recognised, risks compromising credentials or introducing malware into the infrastructure. Asst Rhodense continues to work tirelessly to ensure the continuity of health services, taking all necessary measures to address this crisis.
