The Italian division of Synlab, specializing in medical diagnostics and analyzes, was hit by a serious cyberattack, leading to the suspension of all laboratory tests and samples. The company’s Italian network, comprising 380 laboratories and medical centers across the country, was affected by the breach.
The incident took place in the early hours of April 18, prompting the company’s IT department to immediately shut down all computers and corporate infrastructure upon detecting the intrusion to mitigate the damage.
According to an official statement by Synlab, “As soon as the threat was detected, the IT department promptly disconnected the entire corporate network segment and powered down all machines in accordance with the company’s information security protocols.”
There is concern that confidential medical data may have been compromised in the attack. The company has stated, “We cannot rule out the possibility that this attack may involve personal data related to the services you have received.”
Currently, all analysis and sample collection services have been suspended until further notice. Clients are advised to contact the company via phone as email services are temporarily down. Samples that were obtained prior to the cyberattack and have not yet been analyzed are being stored at low temperatures. However, if system restoration takes too long, customers may need to provide new samples as the old ones could degrade.
In an update on April 19, Synlab announced the gradual resumption of some services, including outpatient specialist methods and physiotherapy. Efforts to clean the IT infrastructure of malicious software and restore systems from backup copies are ongoing.
“Currently, the Synlab team is meticulously examining every aspect of the IT infrastructure, including backup systems, to ensure a safe and swift restoration of operations,” the company stated. The timeline for full system recovery has not been disclosed, and customers are advised to monitor updates on the company’s website and social media platforms.
As of now, no known extortion groups have claimed responsibility for the attack on Synlab Italia.