Toronto SickKids lifts Code Grey as recovery from ransomware attack continues
A majority of systems at Toronto’s Hospital of Sick Children that were hit by a ransomware attack last month have been restored, the hospital said Thursday.
In a statement, SickKids said 80 per cent of the systems are accessible again. As a result, the hospital announced it has lifted the Code Grey that was initiated on Dec. 18 when the cybersecurity incident was discovered.
“I am very thankful that we have been able to call the Code Grey All Clear relatively quickly with minimal disruptions to patients and families. Without the extremely hard work of our staff and expertise of external advisors over the holidays, we would not have been able to lift the Code Grey as efficiently as we have,” Dr. Ronald Cohn, the president and CEO of SickKids, said in a statement.
The attack resulted in many of the hospital’s systems being offline, prompting SickKids to open a command centre and consult with third-party experts.
During the Code Grey, a number of patients and families experienced diagnostic and treatment delays due to lab and imaging results not being received on time, SickKids said.
“Clinical teams continue to monitor but have not identified any serious health outcomes related to the service delays,” the hospital said.
It added that while the hospital’s electronic medical record (EMR) was not impacted, systems that integrate with the EMR were temporarily unavailable. In addition, several corporate systems were also hit by the attack, including the hospital’s timekeeping system for staff and intranet.
SickKids said they were notified on Dec. 31 of a statement from the group responsible for the attack offering a free decryptor. LockBit, a ransomware group that has been called by the FBI as one of the world’s most active and destructive, issued an apology that day, saying a “partner” was behind the attack and offered the hospital the decryptor.
The hospital said it has not used the decryptor or made any ransom payments.
“SickKids continues to consult with its third-party experts to determine the most efficient and effective means to restore its impacted systems, including the possible use of the decryptor. There is no evidence to date that personal information or personal health information has been impacted,” SickKids said.
Nimira Dhalwani, the hospital’s chief technology officer, added: “Our cybersecurity measures meet a high standard, and we are confident that the safeguards and processes we have in place enabled us to respond rapidly to mitigate the impacts on hospital operations. We are working with our experts and industry partners to strengthen our collective systems wherever possible.”
- with files from The Canadian Press
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.