The French Student Health Foundation (FSEF) was the victim of a cyberattack, said Vincent Beaugrand, its director general.

Ransomware has made most of the patient health data of the foundation that operates 13 non-urgent care clinics inaccessible.

Fortunately, none of this data was stolen by hackers, says management.

Vincent Beaugrand affirms that there is "no impact for (the) patients" and that "no change" was necessary in the management in the 13 clinics, located for many in Ile-de -France, and also in other regions, in particular in Isère.

These clinics provide psychiatric or rehabilitation care for young people aged 12 to 25, but no emergencies, surgery or resuscitation.

However, the staff had to go back to paper and pencil.

A ransom demanded to unlock the computer system

This health group has been attacked with ransomware, a program by which hackers break into the computer system and then encrypt its files to make them inoperative, demanding a ransom to unlock them.

The FSEF, which detected the attack on the night of Thursday to Friday, reported it to the state cyber-firefighter, ANSSI, who helped her and lodged a complaint in a Paris police station.

Access to “priority tools” for 2,700 employees should be restored by the “end of the week”, assures the general manager.

He specifies that backup systems were not blocked, which allowed caregivers to access certain patient files.

One hospital cyberattack per week since 2021

Health establishments have been victims of computer attacks in recent months at a rate that tends to get carried away: "twenty-seven cyber attacks on hospitals in 2020, one per week since 2021", assured the Secretary of State in February. to the Digital Transition Cédric O.

These hospitals, laboratories or platforms, which manage sensitive data, have become privileged targets since the health crisis.

President Emmanuel Macron presented on February 18 a plan of one billion euros intended to strengthen their cybersecurity.

Friday, a hospital group in Hauts-de-France was also the victim of a computer attack, and on the 9th, it was a hospital in Haute-Garonne that was targeted.

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