LockBit ransomware group ‘apologizes’ for children’s hospital cyberattack

The Hospital for Sick Children experienced a ransomware attack on December 18, 2022, causing delays in operations. The LockBit ransomware group issued an apology and offered a free decryptor for the hospital. The hospital stated that it did not make a ransom payment and that there is no evidence of personal information being affected. Healthcare organizations typically only recover about two-thirds of their files even with a decryptor. The purpose of the ransomware group’s apology may be to discourage other affiliates from attacking children’s hospitals.