Cyberattack disrupts Belgian hospital AZ Monica

Belgian hospital AZ Monica experienced a significant cyberattack, leading to the shutdown of all its servers and the cancellation of scheduled procedures. Critical patients were transferred to other facilities as a precautionary measure. The incident forced the hospital to operate with reduced capacity in its emergency department and postpone non-urgent consultations due to inaccessible digital medical records, as reported by Security Affairs.

The cyberattack was detected at 6:32 a.m., prompting AZ Monica to proactively shut down all servers across its Antwerp and Deurne campuses. While urgent care and existing patients continued to receive treatment, scheduled surgeries were impossible, and non-urgent appointments were postponed. Seven critical patients were safely transferred with the support of the Red Cross. The hospital has launched an investigation and notified police and prosecutors.

Although unverified claims of a ransom demand have surfaced, authorities have not confirmed these details. The hospital's emergency department operated at reduced capacity, with ambulances being diverted and patients advised to seek care from GPs or other emergency services.

Source: Security Affairs