The Haute-Comté Intercommunal Hospital Center in Pontarlier has suffered a major cyberattack that has forced a complete shutdown of its computer systems. The incident occurred around 3 a.m. on the night of Saturday, October 18, to Sunday, October 19.
All digital operations across the hospital and its associated facilities, including the nursing home, have been halted. Care continues to be provided, but staff are operating entirely on paper. Authorities are urging the public not to overload phone lines. For medical emergencies, residents must contact SAMU (15), while those with scheduled appointments from Monday should call 0 805 090 125 (toll-free).
In a statement, the hospital confirmed it had been targeted by a “cryptolocker” ransomware attack, which led to the encryption of part of its computer data. The attackers reportedly gained access to the servers, locked them, and are demanding a ransom to restore access.
“All systems are at a standstill,” said Romuald Vivot, the hospital’s communications manager, noting that all IT tools, including email and patient management software, have been disabled. Staff reverted to manual procedures, a contingency tested during a cybersecurity exercise on September 15. The disruption is expected to last several days.
The police, the Digital Health Agency (ANS), the Regional Health Agency (ARS) of Burgundy-Franche-Comté, and the National Cybersecurity Agency of France (ANSSI) are coordinating to assess the impact and secure the hospital’s infrastructure. A formal complaint has been filed, and an investigation is underway to identify those responsible.
