FEATURE : CYBERATTACK
An unprecedented cyberattack that threatened life-saving medical care services at Western Cape Blood Service , was remediated and curtailed by IT and cybersecurity services specialist Dimension Data .
By Mark Bowen .
The attack had a significant impact on the systems responsible for tracking blood from the veins of volunteer donors to the veins of patients . This disruption not only affected personal and health records but also prevented the service ’ s laboratories from conducting automated batch blood testing .
Although manual testing is possible as an alternative , it introduces considerable delays and lacks the inherent safeguards provided by the digital system .
Around 4AM , the Head of IT at Western Cape Blood Service , WCBS received a phone call informing them that its systems were not functioning . It was revealed that a cyberattack had occurred , preventing access to the system by encrypting workstations and disabling servers . While an attack like this is any company ’ s nightmare , in this instance it was a threat to lifesaving care for thousands of people .
WCBS holds a unique position as the sole provider of blood products in the region , supplying approximately 7,000 units per month . Its technology plays a vital role in ensuring that the correct patient receives the appropriate blood product when needed , while also maintaining the highest standards of safety for the blood supply .
Paying the hackers to regain access and rewarding their criminal actions was never considered an option . Instead , the primary focus was directed towards recovering the systems that are essential for its medical services and restoring them as quickly as possible .
“ It was quite frightening because I was worried about operational paralysis – that we would not be able to do what we need to do as a blood service for the next hours or perhaps days . It was also a little confusing why any entity thought it was a good idea to ransomware or cyberattack a non-profit entity that is doing good work ,” said Dr Gregory Bellairs , CEO and Medical Director , WCBS .
Says Jacques Breslaw , Head of IT at WCBS : “ If you have not been through something before , you think you know what to do . But when you bring in Dimension
Dimension Data and Western Cape Blood Service remediate life-threatening cyberattack
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