Data belonging to tens of thousands of patients was stolen in a cyberattack targeting an external service provider used by multiple hospitals in Germany, public broadcaster ARD reported today, Anadolu reports.

Cologne University Hospital alone said 30,000 people were affected. According to reports, the attack took place in mid-April. Since the breach targeted the external service provider and not the hospital itself, clinical systems and patient care were not compromised at any point.

In the southern state of Baden-Wurttemberg, thieves stole data from more than 72,000 patients at the university hospitals of Freiburg, Ulm, Heidelberg and Tübingen. The extent of the breach varied between hospitals.

According to the University Hospital in Freiburg, the incident affected some patients with private supplementary insurance as well as self-paying patients.

As a result, key data, including names, dates of birth and addresses, was stolen from around 54,000 people. In about 900 cases, billing data was also compromised. The information could reveal details about diagnoses and types of treatment.

In Cologne, criminals accessed general data, including names, addresses and doctors treating more than 27,000 people. The University Hospital said it would personally notify all affected individuals in the coming days, adding that anyone who does not receive a letter is not affected.

Saarland University Hospital reported more than 1,200 affected cases.

According to the hospitals, the external service provider handles billing for services provided to patients with private or elective medical coverage on behalf of numerous hospitals across Germany. They reiterated that patient care and clinical systems were not affected at any time.

Cyberattacks in Germany are said to be intensifying as the country’s critical infrastructure faces increasing threats.

Once primarily associated with criminal activity, cyberattacks are increasingly being used for political influence. Companies, hospitals, power plants and politicians are all targeted, disrupting services and exposing sensitive data.

Source: prizrenpost