98/68 Wednesday, March 12, 2025
The RansomHouse group has claimed responsibility for hacking Loretto Hospital in Chicago, allegedly stealing 1.5TB of data. However, no evidence of the attack has been publicly disclosed yet. Loretto Hospital is a nonprofit healthcare provider founded in 1939, offering services in primary care, behavioral health, women’s health, pediatric medicine, and family planning.
RansomHouse is a data extortion group that has been active since 2021. Unlike traditional ransomware gangs, it does not encrypt data but instead focuses on stealing information and demanding ransom payments. The group has previously targeted organizations such as AMD and Keralty, pressuring victims to pay by threatening to release stolen data if the ransom is not met. Cyberattacks on U.S. hospitals have surged in 2024, with 98 reported incidents affecting 117 million records. Major victims include Change Healthcare (100M records), Summit Pathology (1.8M), OnePoint Patient Care (796K), and Boston Children’s Health Physicians (909K).
Loretto Hospital has faced data breaches before, including an incident in January 2023 when a former employee leaked security camera footage of some patients on Facebook. Although the content was later removed, the hospital had to notify affected individuals. The healthcare sector remains a prime target for hackers, as patient data holds significant value on the dark web.
