Cybercriminals post nude images of breast cancer patients after ransomware attack

The images can be found on the dark web, the anonymous part of the internet where many cybercriminals hang out, and verified by RTL News.

In addition to the images, the cybercriminals also stole copies of patients’ passports and other sensitive private information.

Pressurize

The data is released to pressure the healthcare facility into paying the ransom demanded by Black Cat. “Your time is running out and we are ready to unleash all our power over you,” the criminals write on their website.

The American health institute that was hacked is the Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN), which specializes in the treatment of cancer, among other things. LVHN discovered the cyberattack on February 6 on one of the computers used to analyze images from the oncology examination.

In a response, director Brian Nester says he finds the attack “reprehensible” and is doing everything he can to get the systems back up and running. He also points out that the LVHN will not pay a ransom.

black cat

Black Cat, which is linked to Russia, says it has been in the LVHN network for “quite a long time”: “We had time to take a close look at your business. We have stolen all confidential data and are ready to release it.”

The ransomware group has quickly become one of the biggest digital threats. It was last February that second most active ransomwate group, with a total of 23 victims. In total, cybercriminals have claimed hundreds of victims since their debut in 2021.

Hospitals more often victims

This isn’t the first time a hospital has fallen victim to a ransomware attack. In 2020, a hospital in Germany was held digitally hostage, preventing it from accepting new patients in the emergency room. As a result, a woman may have died.

Ransomware group REvil, also affiliated with Russia, hijacked a cosmetic surgery clinic the same year and released highly sensitive images of patients. Two years later, several members of the group were arrested in Russia.