Centre Hospitalier de Cahors

Summary

A cyberattack targeted the Centre Hospitalier de Cahors, primarily disrupting its internal messaging systems. While patient care continued unaffected, internet access was restricted across the facility to secure its infrastructure. Patient data remained uncompromised as it was stored externally with a certified health data hosting provider. National cybersecurity agencies, including ANSSI and CERT, coordinated response efforts to restore normal operations. This incident followed similar attacks on regional institutions, highlighting recurring threats to healthcare and educational entities.

Motives

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TTPs

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Description

On September 15, 2022, Centre Hospitalier de Cahors in France's Lot department experienced a cyberattack that disrupted its operations starting that morning. The attack primarily targeted the hospital’s internal messaging systems, compromising communication infrastructure. Hospital administration confirmed the incident through an official statement, noting that patient care services continued without interruption despite the attack. Internet access across the facility was intentionally restricted as a containment measure to isolate compromised systems and prevent further network infiltration. This limitation aimed to facilitate forensic analysis and system hardening by response teams. No evidence indicated that patient medical records or administrative data were exfiltrated or altered, as these systems were hosted externally by a certified health-data hosting provider, insulating them from direct compromise.

The hospital engaged France’s National Agency for the Security of Information Systems (ANSSI) and the governmental Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) to coordinate incident response and recovery efforts. These agencies worked to restore normal operations while investigating the attack’s origin and scope. The incident occurred amid a regional pattern of cyberattacks, including a recent disruption at Toulouse’s École Polytechnique earlier that week, which had paralyzed its IT network. Historical context also referenced an April 2021 cyberattack on Saint-Gaudens Hospital in Haute-Garonne, underscoring recurring threats to healthcare infrastructure in Occitanie. Centre Hospitalier de Cahors maintained public assurances regarding patient safety and operational continuity throughout the response period, emphasizing the segregation of critical health data from affected on-premises systems.

Sources

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