Hackers Demand Bitcoin as Ransom in Romania

[Flexystar]

The hackers were able to access the hospital's database and encrypt it, leaving a message stating that 3 bitcoins ($50,000 at the current price) must be paid as a ransom for decryption. Neither the computer specialists from the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism nor experts working for the Romanian cybersecurity firm Bitdefender were able to decrypt the files
According to what news websites are circulating, this incident is not the first of its kind in Romania, as a large number of breaches have occurred since 2019, targeting health care institutions.

s/www.romania-insider.com/database-romanian-hospital-held-ransom-hackers-jan-2023%3famp]Database of Romanian hospital held for ransom by hackers

The link is broken. You can use one of the following article links for more details :
https://news.bitcoin.com/hackers-hit-romanian-hospital-demand-bitcoin-ransom/
https://tokenpost.com/Hackers-demand-Bitcoin-from-Romanian-hospital-hit-by-a-ransomware-attack-9862

Either someone knows the weak security links in the Romania or its going all the way insider job to give critical information to spread the viruses with that rate. This is not rare, throughout the world various government and private sector servers are hacked, asked for ransoms and many of them do follow the procedure to save the data of their users or sometimes companies confidential data.

World has become so brutal that sometimes "Ethical Hackers" within the company are turning against the same company who pays them the salary! Just out of some anger issues, lower payscales and shit like that. You never know whats the story behind the curtains but security is major issue these days.

Blockchain adoption should be intensified!

[Broadanbig]

The hackers were able to access the hospital's database and encrypt it, leaving a message stating that 3 bitcoins ($50,000 at the current price) must be paid as a ransom for decryption. Neither the computer specialists from the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism nor experts working for the Romanian cybersecurity firm Bitdefender were able to decrypt the files
According to what news websites are circulating, this incident is not the first of its kind in Romania, as a large number of breaches have occurred since 2019, targeting health care institutions.

s/www.romania-insider.com/database-romanian-hospital-held-ransom-hackers-jan-2023%3famp]Database of Romanian hospital held for ransom by hackers

The link is broken. You can use one of the following article links for more details :
https://news.bitcoin.com/hackers-hit-romanian-hospital-demand-bitcoin-ransom/
https://tokenpost.com/Hackers-demand-Bitcoin-from-Romanian-hospital-hit-by-a-ransomware-attack-9862

There has never been a smoke without fire. I had to read through  from the first link you provided and found this;
 "The attack has been well-prepared, the publication noted. Neither the computer specialists from the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism nor experts working for the Romanian cybersecurity firm Bitdefender were able to decrypt the information."

Most times things if this nature does not just happen that way.  They are pre-planned and only God knows who must have been up to committing that nefarious act against the hospital. I really do not believe someone from outside could get details to override a system so easily to get access and also locking up data to that extent. This is very much audible to ones understanding that there is more to this act but what annoys me most is the ransome demanded in bitcoin. This is a bad omen to the bitcoin community giving room for non enthusiast to making critique of bitcoin as being used for crime.

[Yatsan]

There are many possible angles on this case and that includes inside job, anonymity, and accessibility. Accessibility might be easier for health related establishments unlike with government and other 'technicalities'. Next is with inside job; given that the database could be easier to be acessed, still it would or supposedly allow people to have linkages on it if they are an employee or even former employee. Lastly is anonymity. This might be the reason why hackers demanded Bitcoin in order to hide their identities from the authority through the help of decentralization.

I feel very pity for the hacker because its target is the hospital and there are a lot of people who are admitted to this hospital and these people's life may be in danger once some things will turn bad during the negotiation.
Another thing is for Bitcoin, by doing this, Bitcoin is becoming dirty because these people are using Bitcoin. This is one of the examples of why some people think that Bitcoin is a fraud because it is being used by criminals.

That's just how works to some, especially to cases wherein money is involved. You cannot ask a bad guy to be a good one in the first place,

[Falconer]

Another thing is for Bitcoin, by doing this, Bitcoin is becoming dirty because these people are using Bitcoin. This is one of the examples of why some people think that Bitcoin is a fraud because it is being used by criminals.

I don't expect just because of this case bitcoin will be scapegoated by people who hate it. There have been many cases of hacks demanding ransoms in fiat currency, and one shouldn't blame fiat for that.

Bitcoin is an option here as one of the currencies that supports privacy, but it is clear that bitcoin is not anonymous because all bitcoin transactions are public and traceable. Mixer and TOR services might break traceability and hide IP, but if something improved in the future so it's always possible to find out who did it.

[Baofeng]

It all depends on which vulnerabilities were exploited for hackers to gain access to backend medical databases.

Seems to be MITM attack, the hackers didn't directly breach the hospital databases, as far as I understand, what they breach is the company that supposed to maintain their computers and networks. And that's why the hackers were able to get accessed to the hospital records and encrypt it.

IT security in the current era tends to be a low priority from a budgeting perspective. There is also a shortage of personnel in the IT security industry.

There are a number of factors which converge to make things like this possible, or perhaps even commonplace. With there not appearing to be much incentive or motivation to address it.

I do agree, in some organizations like hospitals, education and even energy and utilities, they tend not to put a huge budget on their computer/network systems and so they are vulnerable to this kind of exploits and attacks.

And if others could still remember one of the biggest cyber attacks in the last 3 years, Report: 40% of healthcare organizations hit by WannaCry in past 6 months.

And up to this day, they haven't learn a lesson or two.

[serjent05]

Cyber Security is the number one priority in this new technological economic age. So how do we do?
Botosani Hospital Server was attacked by hackers and they demanded bitcoin as the payment ransom. The hackers demanded  3 BTC to be paid.

s/www.romania-insider.com/database-romanian-hospital-held-ransom-hackers-jan-2023%3famp]Database of Romanian hospital held for ransom by hackers
Please don't disclose you keys to anyone.

Security is everybody business

Hackers also demand dollars or euros, so that's no big deal. Such news is always spread and publicized by mostly anti-Bitcoin forces that want to justify their opposition to the currency. If this hack happened in my country, the government would ensure that this news makes the cover page of all leading newspapers. The CBN governor would immediately hold a press conference to discuss this issue and to tell the populace how Bitcoin is a currency of criminals. These hackers gained access to the Romanian hospital server because their security is compromised or not advanced.

It would be a good promotion for cryptocurrency if somehow they choose the option to pay and Bitcoin and be able to track the traces of hackers.  Instead of people thinking that Bitcoin is the currency of criminals and money launderers, they will get to know that Bitcoin is transparent that enables the combat of illegal money transfers, thus a good currency that can expose and trace people behind the illegal transactions.

[Distinctin]

I think I have read that in some countries and jurisdictions around the world it is illegal for people and organizations to pay ransom in case of attacks like these ones.
I wonder if the laws in Romania are similar, so criminal hacking groups won't get as much money as they expect from their victims.

Also, OP.
This is not about the management of keys, this is likely a result of poor security by that hospital in romania..

I was quite confused on what thought that OP wants to convey, but based on the story, it’s certainly poor security on the hospital itself, and not on our own bitcoin account. And Romania I think is also crypto friendly that’s why bitcoin is not unusual to them and they realize that bitcoin has a great value. Sadly, those hackers must have seen how to take advantage on other people’s bitcoin.