Ransomware attackers wanted $80,000 from York Animal Hospital.
Ransomware attackers wanted $80,000 from York Animal Hospital. They won't pay.
YORK, Maine — The team at York Animal Hospital has nearly finished manually reentering inventory data that was lost to a ransomware attack that wiped all patient records from the past four years.
"Five phone lines have been ringing off the hook," owner Bill Walak said Monday. "We've been inundated all day."
People have been calling to make appointments and give the hospital as many records of their pets that they can find since the cyberattack over the Fourth of July weekend erased the hospital's entire server and all backup data, according to York Animal Hospital's owners.
All that was left were a few paper records and some saved emails.
Veterinarian Bill Walak greets people at the entrance of York Animal Hospital on Monday, July 12, 2021, in York, Maine. YAH had its entire software system erased after a ransomware attack asked for $80,000 in Bitcoin and Walak refused to pay.
Walak said he didn't charge people for services last week because the system was down. Now that inventory data has been reentered, the team can begin to resume normal business, but he cautioned service will remain slow as they continue to rebuild their patient information database.
The hospital team asked customers to give them one day's notice to refill medications or food. The hospital cannot receive text messages at this time.
Walak thanked the community for the outpouring of support and asked for patience as they continue to rebuild, which he said will take at least a year.
"It's been devastating," Walak said.
"It's like a big jigsaw puzzle," he added. "We're just trying to put the pieces back together."
York Animal Hospital had its entire software system erased after a global malware attack on July 5, 2021, asked for $80,000 in Bitcoin and the YAH owner refused to pay.
The owners discovered the attack Tuesday, July 6, prompting the hospital to close early on Friday, so the team could work on rebuilding the company's database. The team posted progress updates on Facebook throughout the ordeal, thanking clients for their patience.
"You have worked with us through the struggles of COVID over the past year, and now as we were starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, our clinic was devastated by a cyberattack," the team wrote on July 7.
YORK, Maine — The team at York Animal Hospital has nearly finished manually reentering inventory data that was lost to a ransomware attack that wiped all patient records from the past four years.
"Five phone lines have been ringing off the hook," owner Bill Walak said Monday. "We've been inundated all day."
People have been calling to make appointments and give the hospital as many records of their pets that they can find since the cyberattack over the Fourth of July weekend erased the hospital's entire server and all backup data, according to York Animal Hospital's owners.
All that was left were a few paper records and some saved emails.
Veterinarian Bill Walak greets people at the entrance of York Animal Hospital on Monday, July 12, 2021, in York, Maine. YAH had its entire software system erased after a ransomware attack asked for $80,000 in Bitcoin and Walak refused to pay.
Walak said he didn't charge people for services last week because the system was down. Now that inventory data has been reentered, the team can begin to resume normal business, but he cautioned service will remain slow as they continue to rebuild their patient information database.
The hospital team asked customers to give them one day's notice to refill medications or food. The hospital cannot receive text messages at this time.
Walak thanked the community for the outpouring of support and asked for patience as they continue to rebuild, which he said will take at least a year.
"It's been devastating," Walak said.
"It's like a big jigsaw puzzle," he added. "We're just trying to put the pieces back together."
York Animal Hospital had its entire software system erased after a global malware attack on July 5, 2021, asked for $80,000 in Bitcoin and the YAH owner refused to pay.
The owners discovered the attack Tuesday, July 6, prompting the hospital to close early on Friday, so the team could work on rebuilding the company's database. The team posted progress updates on Facebook throughout the ordeal, thanking clients for their patience.
"You have worked with us through the struggles of COVID over the past year, and now as we were starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, our clinic was devastated by a cyberattack," the team wrote on July 7.
