No longer is ransomware merely suspected in the attack on MedStar Health‘s computer systems. In fact, the hackers reportedly are willing to offer a “bulk discount” to unlock computers at the Columbia, Maryland-based health system, according to the Baltimore Sun.
The newspaper said it has seen a copy of the hackers’ demands:
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The deal is this: Send 3 bitcoins — $1,250 at current exchange rates — for the digital key to unlock a single infected computer, or 45 bitcoins — about $18,500 — for keys to all of them.
As of 4 p.m. EDT Wednesday, the Sun reported that no payment had been made, nor have the cyber attackers delivered the key to the specified digital wallet on the “dark web.”
But does it even matter? The Baltimore Business Journal reported that MedStar was “nearing full restoration” of its three primary IT systems.
Still, according to the Business Journal, e-mail remained offline across the MedStar organization. The health system told the publication that it could not confirm whether technology was operational in specialty departments, including radiation oncology.
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MedStar broke its silence Tuesday evening, its first statement since acknowledging the outage — but not the presence of ransomware — on Monday. In the Tuesday statement, MedStar said it was the victim of “malware.”
The statement continued:
After a careful assessment and testing overnight, we are working to restore the majority of our IT systems today. We are using backup systems, including paper documentation—a process used before the advancements of technology—where necessary, and as an additional layer of support to our clinical operations. We will continue to partner with experts in the field of IT and cybersecurity, as well as law enforcement, to continually assess the situation as we safely restore functionality.
The health system has said the FBI was investigating, but the bureau’s Baltimore office didn’t comment about the MedStar case when asked by the Business Journal.
Photo: Flickr user Quinn Dombrowski
