Cyber ​​attack paralyzes Ameos clinics: patient care at risk!

Cyber ​​attack paralyzes Ameos clinics: patient care at risk!

Things are going haywire in the Ameos Group, one of the largest healthcare providers in Germany. The reason for this is a violent cyber attack that was detected on Monday evening. Since then, the IT outage has persisted and affected over 100 healthcare facilities at more than 50 locations in German-speaking countries, such as MDR reported. Patients and relatives are alarmed because the screens in many clinics flash black and normal clinic operations are severely restricted.

Despite these difficulties, the company assures that patient care was assured at all times. Emergency rooms and other therapeutic services remain available, and operations are also returning to normal, says the Ameos Group, which serves more than 500,000 people annually ( t online ).

IT failure affects hospital operations

However, the situation in the clinics is anything but easy. Nursing staff in Aschersleben stand in front of black monitors and have to inform patients about their medication themselves. Communication with rescue control centers is also no longer as usual because digital services, including email traffic, have been disrupted since the cyber attack ( MDR ). A call is required to receive information about available patient spaces.

Employees are working around the clock to restore IT systems. While some medical applications are already available again, it remains unclear when full functionality of the systems will return. The deputy state data protection officer Albert Cohaus has also confirmed a possible data protection breach, although the Ameos Group has not yet responded to inquiries about possible data losses.

Cyber ​​attacks in healthcare

Cyberattacks are a growing threat to healthcare, according to a report by medical journal Clinics are particularly vulnerable due to their increasing dependence on digital infrastructure. The number of attacks on this sector increased by a remarkable 74% in 2023 compared to the previous year. Ransomware, a particularly insidious form of malware, encrypts data and demands a ransom to restore it.

Incidents such as the current attack on the Ameos clinics illustrate how important it is to be prepared against such threats. Recommended measures include regular software updates, robust password security and employee awareness of potential risks. The Federal Criminal Police Office recorded over 136,000 cyber attacks in 2022, although only a small proportion of them were reported.

The Ameos Group, which plays a central role in the German healthcare system with more than 18,000 employees and a total of 10,900 beds, is now faced with the challenge of resolving system failures and regaining trust in its digital services. Patients and relatives are now hoping for a quick solution to the problems so that the clinics can soon start working smoothly again.