WannaCry attack infected medical devices in US

The WannaCry ransomware attack that affected the NHS also infected at certain devices from life sciences company, Bayer.

Forbes has reported that at least two of the company’s medical devices were hit by the attack. Forbes received an image of an infected Bayer Medrad radiology device in a US hospital. The device is used to improve imaging for MRIs.

Speaking to Forbes, the company confirmed that it received reports of the ransomware attack affecting customers in the US. A spokesperson said: “If a hospital's network is compromised, this may affect Bayer's Windows-based devices connected to that network."

They continued, stating that operation was restored within 24 hours and the company is also planning to patch the devices which operate off Microsoft Windows operating systems.

Other medical device companies such as company Siemens Healthineers and BD have also been affected by the attack.

Both companies have released statements recommending actions to take by customers if devices have been affected.

Siemens state: “Siemens Healthineers recognizes that some of its customers may be facing impacts from the recent major cyber-attack known as “WannaCry”.

“Select Siemens Healthineers products may be affected by the Microsoft vulnerability being exploited by the WannaCry ransomware. The exploitability of any such vulnerability depends on the actual configuration and deployment environment of each product.”

Siemens has recommended a number of steps for infected products including; reconnecting products after patches have been installed, ensuring appropriate backups and system restoration procedures are in place, isolating vulnerable products from connected networks and more.

BD’s response included similar recommendations and the company issues a statement saying: “BD is monitoring the developing situation with a large-scale ransomware attack that is affecting healthcare facilities across the globe. The “WannaCry” ransomware encrypts all files on affected computers and demands the administrator pay a ransom in order to regain control of those files. If affected, healthcare providers may lose access to patient files and experience major IT disruption and delays. At this time, we are actively monitoring the situation and working closely with customers to ensure the appropriate measures are taken to help safeguard our products.