Ransomware criminals still put data from medical institution online after attack

The criminals behind the Maze ransomware have put data online from a British research company that makes medicines and vaccines for diseases. The group previously promised not to do that.

These are criminals behind the Maze ransomware. They attacked the computer systems of London’s Hammersmith Medicine Research Center. The company confirms this to ComputerWeekly. The company does tests for medicines and vaccinations. It is ‘ready’ to test a possible vaccine against the new coronavirus in the near future.

The criminals have put patients’ medical records online. The documents go back in time between eight and twenty years, the center says. The files contain medical questionnaires and copies of passports and driving licenses of at least 2300 people. HMR was hit by ransomware on March 14. The company tells ComputerWeekly that it has no intention of paying the ransom.

The criminals behind the Maze ransomware attack companies and encrypt their files. For a year now, the criminals have also threatened to publish stolen information online if companies do not pay. That has happened regularly. It is striking that just a week ago, the criminals ‘promised’ not to attack health organizations during the corona pandemic. The criminals wanted to wait until ‘the crisis with the corona virus has stabilized’.