A major cancer hospital in Cyprus is investigating a possible cyber attack. The Bank of Cyprus Oncology Centre found unusual activity on its computer systems earlier this week. The hospital says no patient has been harmed, but it has started a full investigation. National cybersecurity and data protection officials are now helping with the situation.
The hospital discovered the problem on Monday. They immediately followed their security plan. They told the national Digital Security Authority and hired a cybersecurity company to check their systems. They also informed the Data Protection Commissioner because hospitals keep very private patient information.
Hospitals are often targets for hackers because they hold very sensitive data. Patient records can include medical history, ID numbers, and financial details. This information is valuable to criminals. The oncology centre has a lot of this private data, so a security problem is very serious. Experts are still investigating what happened and if any information was stolen.
The hospital said that patient care has not stopped. "We want to tell everyone that no patient has been affected," a hospital representative said. While the investigation continues, the hospital has added extra security to its computer networks to prevent more problems.
This case shows how important cybersecurity is for hospitals. The results of the investigation will be important for all healthcare in Cyprus. It will show if this was a small problem or a big data breach. This event reminds us that protecting patient information is a constant challenge in today's digital world.