Jun 17, 2021

Cyberattacks Skyrocket in the Czech Republic

Prague Morning

The number of cyberattacks launched against the Czech Republic’s health sector saw a 267% year-on-year increase in 2020, the annual report of the country’s National Cyber and Information Agency (NÚKIB) reads.

The agency warns that last year saw the development of a new, large-scale trend of ransomware attacks against health facilities.

The most serious incident occurred in March of last year when the Faculty Hospital in the city of Brno in the South Moravia region was targeted by a ransomware attack that caused millions in damages and shut down three departments for several weeks.

Other targets included the Faculty Hospital in Ostrava, the Regional Hospital in Karlovy Vary, or the Hospital in Benešov.

NÚKIB has warned of an upcoming wave of attacks targeting the country’s public and private sectors by a group of cybercriminals aiming to extort payments in Bitcoin.

In the last year, several cyber attacks have hit state organisations in the Czech Republic, including Prague airport.

The Czech Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, Jana Maláčová, told the Czech media that the ministry had also been targeted, without giving further details.