Nine attempted cyberattacks on Israeli hospitals and health organizations were thwarted over the weekend, the Health Ministry and National Cyber Directorate announced in a joint statement on Sunday.

The attacks follow a major ransomware attack on the Hillel Yaffe Medical Center in Hadera on Wednesday, which paralyzed most of the hospital’s computer systems.

The hospital is still operating in a limited capacity and may take months to recover. The hospital’s computer systems were reportedly vulnerable as they were not adequately equipped with protection against cyberattacks. According to a Ynet report, the attack on Hillel Yaffe was attributed to the DeepBlueMagic hackers’ group which uses a particularly insidious method of attack.

Since Hillel Yaffe is a government hospital, it is forbidden from paying a ransom to hackers, Channel 12 News reported.

Prof. Chezy Levy, the director of the Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon, told Ynet that his hospital was one of those targeted over the weekend.

Health Ministry officials said that they are working with the National Cyber Directorate to bolster the level of protection in health institutions.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)