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The Bank of Cyprus Oncology Center has suffered a cyberattack that resulted in the unauthorized access and theft of personal data, the country’s Personal Data Protection Authority said Thursday.
According to the Authority, it was notified of the incident immediately and has since been in constant contact with the Center, requesting all relevant information as part of an ongoing investigation under the General Data Protection Regulation and national law.
“The Authority is already evaluating the facts, the security measures in place, and the steps taken by the Organization to contain and manage the breach,” the statement said. It added that it is working closely with the Digital Security Authority and other government agencies to assess the situation fully.
Panos Ergatoudis, director of the Oncology Center, told Alpha TV’s morning show that the attack was carried out by an organized criminal network operating from abroad. He said the perpetrators were able to copy personal data but did not delete files or interfere with patients’ treatments.
“We are certain that the attack came from abroad. This is not an individual hacker but an organized group. We have evidence that the same network has carried out similar attacks in California and other oncology centers, health organizations, and laboratories. Unfortunately, we have fallen victim to organized crime,” Ergatoudis said.
The Personal Data Protection Authority said it will continue monitoring the case closely and take all necessary action within its supervisory powers.
