Regional News
Thailand’s Saraburi Hospital Computers Attacked with Ransomware
Thailand’s Saraburi Hospital in Thailand confirmed the hospital computer system had been attacked with ransomware, but said no demand for money was received. Patients were being advised to bring their own medical records and old medicine packaging with them if they visit the hospital.
Dr Anant Kamolnet, director of Saraburi Hospital in Muang district of Saraburi province, said computer system crashed due to a ransomware attack. He denied reports the hospital management received a demand for 200,000 bitcoins to have its database restored.
No one had contacted the hospital to make a ransom demand, he told the Bangkok Post.
The hospital management announced on its Facebook page on Monday that a computer crash had stalled systems at the hospital. Staff were trying their best to solve the problem due to the ransomware.
It asked patients to bring their welfare cards, copies of referrals, ID cards, medicinal allergy cards, old prescriptions and drugs for reference if visiting the hospital.
What is Ransomware
Ransomware is a type of malicious software cyber criminals use to block you from accessing your own data. The digital extortionists encrypt the files on your system. They add extensions to the attacked data and hold it “hostage” until the ransom is paid.
After the initial infection, the ransomware may attempt to spread throughout your network. To shared drives, servers, attached computers, and other accessible systems. If the ransom demands are not met within the cyber crooks time-frame, the system or encrypted data remains unavailable. Even more your data may be deleted by the ransomware software. So to answer the question, “What is Ransomware?” Ransomware is a potential nightmare.
How Ransomware Works
Ransomware enters your network in a variety of ways, the most popular is a download via a spam email attachment. The download then launches the ransomware program that attacks your system. Other forms of entry include social engineering, downloads of the malicious software from the web that can be direct from a site or by clicking on “malvertising,” fake ads that unleash the ransomware. The malware can also be spread through chat messages or even removable USB drives.
Typically, the software gets introduced to your network by an executable file that may have been in a zip folder or disguised as a fax or other viable attachment. The download file then encrypts your data, adds an extension to your files and makes them inaccessible. More sophisticated versions of the software are propagating themselves and can work without any human action. Known as “drive-by” attacks, this form of ransomware infects your system though vulnerabilities in various browser plugins.
