Toronto hospital working to restore systems after being struck by cyber attack
Humber River Hospital says it is still working to restore its IT systems more than 24 hours after being struck by a ransomware attack.
In a statement Tuesday afternoon, the hospital acknowledged that its systems were struck by a new malware attack at around 2 a.m. on June 14 and that it has been operating under a “Code Grey,” which is declared when the hospital is dealing with a loss of essential services, since then.
The hospital, located near Wilson Avenue and Keele Street, said the threat was discovered almost immediately and its 5,000 computers – including those that manage patient records – were shut down in order to protect them.
Ransomware usually functions by encrypting files on target computers so that the information cannot be accessed by its rightful owners and then demanding a ransom to de-encrypt the information.
While the system shutdown prevented most computers from being encrypted, some files were corrupted, the hospital said.
“The IT department has been working with an external recovery firm who are assisting by being in the facility and online with the recovery planning,” the hospital said in its statement.
Each of the hospital’s computers is being restarted manually and fixed with a patch developed by cyber security firm Symantec.
“We will bring systems back online in a staggered approach over the next 48 hours. It is important to know that no confidential information was released,” the hospital said.
The cyber attack forced the closure of a number of clinics today. Surgeries are continuing as planned and the emergency department is still open but functioning on ambulance redirect.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.