Hackers demand $3m bitcoin ransom from hospital to unlock vital files

[bargainbin]

The situation must have been really bad if the hospital decided to send them bitcoins. Now Bitcoin will be associated with ransoms and extortionists.

Already is. And not just ransomware bullshit: full-on, IRL KIDNAPPINGS
https://www.cryptocoinsnews.com/bitcoin-ransoms-becoming-popular-kidnappings/

[MF Doom]

They released the computers for $17k....40 bitcoins: http://www.bitcoinvalues.net/hollywood-hospital-pays-hackers-40-bitcoin-worth-17000-release-computers.html

Even though $17k might be lower amount than losing the data, it just encourage the hackers to continue with what they doing. Very selfish from the hospital, unless these lost data are very important - but what would happened if these HDD/s just naturally broken?

Not selfish at all from the hospital...imagine if someone needed immediate care and the hospital couldn't provide it/gave the wrong meds etc...a medical malpractice lawsuit is going to cost them more than $17k...a LOT more

[mainpmf]

Whatever happened to "We don't negotiate with terrorists"

If they keep feeding these bastards they'll keep coming back for more and more copy cats will be born.

Well, they paid 17k $, can't say it's really a lot of money xD

[amacar2]

I have heard that they pay 17k$ worth of bitcoin to hacker to get their file back. But title says $3m 
I think they have to do backups should have better security in their system because if there were no bitcoin than also those hacker would have find new processor for ransom.

[mainpmf]

I have heard that they pay 17k$ worth of bitcoin to hacker to get their file back. But title says $3m  
I think they have to do backups should have better security in their system because if there were no bitcoin than also those hacker would have find new processor for ransom.

They asked 3 millions but got only 17k$ Which I find rather amazing xD
"we want 5 billions dollars"
"meh... We got like 4.23$ two candies and a ticket for cinema, we're good?"
"deal!"

[the_poet]

Message from the CEO:

http://hollywoodpresbyterian.com/default/assets/File/20160217%20Memo%20from%20the%20CEO%20v2.pdf

[MF Doom]

Message from the CEO:

http://hollywoodpresbyterian.com/default/assets/File/20160217%20Memo%20from%20the%20CEO%20v2.pdf

Of course they have no evidence patent info was accessed...they will announce that in 2 years, like places like target and home depot have done.  Alert people years later of the data breach...

[cointinflas]

Well, obviously either the hospital had no desire to up-keep computer security maintenance on necessary files and they didn't want to spend the extra expense or they flat out were not prepared. If data can't be accessed regarding patient's conditions and issues, how would medical personal even know what to treat an individual for besides physical written paper? As a medical establishment, this was bound to happen at some point in time.

[Cuidler]

Even though $17k might be lower amount than losing the data, it just encourage the hackers to continue with what they doing. Very selfish from the hospital, unless these lost data are very important - but what would happened if these HDD/s just naturally broken?

Not selfish at all from the hospital...imagine if someone needed immediate care and the hospital couldn't provide it/gave the wrong meds etc...a medical malpractice lawsuit is going to cost them more than $17k...a LOT more

Yes, but what if the HDD/s just naturally broke, or some virus just wiped the HDDs like in old days. The hospital should anticipate there is small chance of such things happening and dont relly on the data that is not properly backedup offline. Thats it.

[aardvark15]

I work for a state agency and someone put ransomeware on some of the network drives a few months ago.  The funny thing about it was that the perpetrators only wanted something like 0.75 bitcoins.  The agency did not pay the ransom.  They have all the data backed up every night, so they just reloaded the previous day's data and we just lost part of a day's worth of work.

Thats the way how to do it. Should be investigated how the hack happened so trying prevent the same event again. The hackers should provide free service, like when victims never pay, there will be lot less incentive for hackers for these ransom attacks.

Yes, we can't let the hackers win.  There could have been an investigation, but my guess it is hard to find someone that could be in another country like Russia or China.

[capcher]

They asked 3 millions but got only 17k$ Which I find rather amazing xD

Nope. The hospital said that the hackers only asked for 40 bitcoins (~$17k), earlier reports saying that the hackers asked for $3mil are wrong.

[pooya87]

Even though $17k might be lower amount than losing the data, it just encourage the hackers to continue with what they doing. Very selfish from the hospital, unless these lost data are very important - but what would happened if these HDD/s just naturally broken?

Not selfish at all from the hospital...imagine if someone needed immediate care and the hospital couldn't provide it/gave the wrong meds etc...a medical malpractice lawsuit is going to cost them more than $17k...a LOT more

Yes, but what if the HDD/s just naturally broke, or some virus just wiped the HDDs like in old days. The hospital should anticipate there is small chance of such things happening and dont relly on the data that is not properly backedup offline. Thats it.

yeah, this sounds strange to me too. they had to have some kind of back up. every system that stores important data, takes a backup and store that in a different place for this type of situations.

[Yakamoto]

Even though $17k might be lower amount than losing the data, it just encourage the hackers to continue with what they doing. Very selfish from the hospital, unless these lost data are very important - but what would happened if these HDD/s just naturally broken?

Not selfish at all from the hospital...imagine if someone needed immediate care and the hospital couldn't provide it/gave the wrong meds etc...a medical malpractice lawsuit is going to cost them more than $17k...a LOT more

Yes, but what if the HDD/s just naturally broke, or some virus just wiped the HDDs like in old days. The hospital should anticipate there is small chance of such things happening and dont relly on the data that is not properly backedup offline. Thats it.

yeah, this sounds strange to me too. they had to have some kind of back up. every system that stores important data, takes a backup and store that in a different place for this type of situations.

Well you never know, it could be some elaborate scheme to claim insurance money. /s

it is truely strange that they decided to not have any backups, or at least backups wit outdated files. It makes me wonder what their IT department was supposed to be doing 

[NorrisK]

Maybe some guy went through an expensive treatment and couldn't pay for his bills. He could've easily have uploaded the ransomware on the doctors computer when he walked away for a minute and forgot to lock the computer. The 17k sounds more like an ammount someone would like to be reimbursed for something, or he thought his chances of getting paid were just much higher this way.

[bitgolden]

This would be a very bad situation, for the Hospital and and of course for the bitcoin also.. Even this news gives bitcoin a  popularity, I personally do not prefer this. We hope and pray to God that we'll never hear this type of news again.

[mainpmf]

They asked 3 millions but got only 17k$ Which I find rather amazing xD

Nope. The hospital said that the hackers only asked for 40 bitcoins (~$17k), earlier reports saying that the hackers asked for $3mil are wrong.

Seriously?

Well it's all over the web and the newspaper website :/

[BitcoinHodler]

the media has always been spreading these bad news about bitcoin, i remember a while back it was another robbery which happened in New York city in broad daylight. they mugged the guy's bitcoins.

but eventually all of them are going to be forgotten without any significant effect on bitcoin popularity.

[mainpmf]

the media has always been spreading these bad news about bitcoin, i remember a while back it was another robbery which happened in New York city in broad daylight. they mugged the guy's bitcoins.

but eventually all of them are going to be forgotten without any significant effect on bitcoin popularity.

Yeah I know but confusing 40 btc with 3 millions? Oo

[--Encrypted--]

the media has always been spreading these bad news about bitcoin, i remember a while back it was another robbery which happened in New York city in broad daylight. they mugged the guy's bitcoins.

but eventually all of them are going to be forgotten without any significant effect on bitcoin popularity.

Yeah I know but confusing 40 btc with 3 millions? Oo

I agree. this article says that the hackers demanded $3.4M initially but for some reason accepted $17K instead. another article stated that the $3.4M demand were just false reports. I'm not sure which one is right, but the latter article have the hospital's president and chief executive words as their source.

[mainpmf]

the media has always been spreading these bad news about bitcoin, i remember a while back it was another robbery which happened in New York city in broad daylight. they mugged the guy's bitcoins.

but eventually all of them are going to be forgotten without any significant effect on bitcoin popularity.

Yeah I know but confusing 40 btc with 3 millions? Oo

I agree. this article says that the hackers demanded $3.4M initially but for some reason accepted $17K instead. another article stated that the $3.4M demand were just false reports. I'm not sure which one is right, but the latter article have the hospital's president and chief executive words as their source.

Well maybe it's one of the agents that really misunderstood the amount.

But why didn't they pey nearly immediately? 40 btc is NOTHING for an hospital!