Germany based Fresenius was reportedly hit by a ransomware attack disrupting some of its digital operations. However, the largest private hospital operator from Europe says that the cyber incident did not impact any of its patient care services as its dialysis services were functioning on full swing.
Speaking on the trade front, Fresenius company has 4 independent businesses which are as follows-
1) Fresenius Medical Care- Providing care to those suffering from kidneys malfunctioning
2) Fresenius Helios- A private hospital network-specific
3) Fresenius Kabi- a pharmaceutical drugs and medical devices providers
4) Fresenius Vamed providing healthcare facilities
And the ransomware is reported to have severely hit Fresenius Kabi operations in the United States mostly.
A formal statement from the company is expected to be released by the end of the day. Meanwhile, highly placed sources say that the company could have been hit by a variant called Snake Ransomware.
Technically, Snake is a file-encrypting malware that targets enterprise business management tools and large scale Industrial Control Systems (ICS) and aims to encrypt all the devices connected to it. The good news is that it doesn’t touch the operating system files and so the victim can boot the computer. However, it encrypts all other files which include documents, spreadsheets, photos, videos, music, tax bills, invoices, and accounting software.
What’s concerning about the incident is that it took place during the COVID 19 Pandemic spread and lock-down where patients are facing a shortage of dialysis-related machines and services.
