Mayanei HaYeshuah Medical Center Hit by Cyberattack

Mayanei HaYeshuah Medical Center experienced a cyberattack that was reported to the Health Ministry and the National Cyber System on Monday night. The attack resulted in the shutdown of the hospital’s administrative computer systems, which contain patient data and other vital information.

The attack did not harm medical equipment or interfere with the ability of the hospital to care for patients, and there was no need to relocate patients to other hospitals at this time. The hospital staff is still providing patient care, while teams from the Health Ministry and the National Cyber System are on-site, collaborating with the hospital’s personnel to manage the situation.

The director of the hospital, Dr. Dorit Tex Manova, confirmed that the incident was a ransom-type cyberattack targeting the hospital’s administrative computer systems, in which hackers demanded money to lift their hold on the servers.

As a precautionary measure, the hospital, in coordination with the Health Ministry, decided not to accept patients at outpatient clinics and imaging centers Tuesday morning. Patients in need of medical attention were advised to seek nearby hospitals.

Tuesday evening, the hospital said that the damage from the attack had all but been remedied and that most services will be back in order Wednesday morning.

“We are pleased to announce that the lion’s share of the cleaning and clearing process is already behind us,” the hospital said in a statement. “Most of the hospital’s operations continue as usual, in a safe manner. Operating rooms will work as planned tomorrow, as will most outpatient clinics. Notices were sent to patients.”

It’s worth noting that a similar ransom-type cyberattack occurred two years ago at Hillel Yaffe Medical Center in Hadera. During that incident, alternative systems were used to provide patient care, and non-urgent elective procedures were postponed. Laniado Hospital was prepared to receive patients who couldn’t be treated at Hillel Yaffe Hospital due to the cyberattack.

The Health Ministry and the National Cyber System have also highlighted an increase in attempted cyberattacks on various hospitals and medical organizations, as identified by the Cyber Center of the Health Ministry. Prompt actions by the center and response teams successfully thwarted these attempts, preventing any damage.