Ransomware hits the Luigi Vanvitelli hospital: ACN at work

The Luigi Vanvitelli health institute in Naples has become the new target of a ransomware attack, marking another worrying case of a cybersecurity breach in the Italian healthcare sector. The attack, according to the hospital's website, was launched on July 1, with the official announcement made on July 4. As of July 6, the National Cybersecurity Agency (ACN) has deployed a team of specialists to assist the hospital in assessing the extent of the attack and restoring the affected systems.

The intervention of the National Cybersecurity Agency

Following the attack, ACN sent the Csirt, its operations team, to the Neapolitan hospital to address the situation. Bruno Frattasi, the Director General of ACN, expressed hope for a quick and effective recovery. He said: "We are working to understand the exact scale of the attack and provide any possible support to the hospital." ACN's mandate is essential in determining the extent of the damage and planning the actions necessary to minimize the consequences.

The call for supervision of the health sector

Frattasi also stressed the importance of having adequate cybersecurity measures in the healthcare sector. He appealed to all public health institutions in the country, suggesting they protect their computer systems by adopting the correct technical and organizational measures, and to keep them constantly updated to avoid future violations. He concluded by emphasizing the importance of a deep understanding of your systems and their interdependencies, and having a robust backup system in place as your primary defense against these threats.

The healthcare sector is one of the hardest hit by cyber attacks

According to the 2022 ACN report, the healthcare sector was the fifth most affected by cyberattacks. This fact underlines the growing vulnerability of medical facilities to such threats. The attack on the Vanvitelli hospital represents a further alarm bell for the industry, underlining the need for greater vigilance and decisive action to improve cyber security.