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Like every crisis, the ongoing pandemic also presents some unprecedented opportunities, which we shouldn't let pass by. Today, a milestone open letter by a group of global leaders brings us one step closer to ensuring effective protection of hospitals from cyber attacks.
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You may remember that on 13 March, a major #Czech hospital got hit by a cyber attack, which disrupted much of its activity, including ongoing coronavirus testing.
https://zd.net/2wR06nM
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https://zd.net/2wR06nM
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The Czech incident confirmed what the @ICRC has been saying for a while: medical facilities are particularly vulnerable to hostile or malicious cyber operations.
https://www.icrc.org/en/document/potential-human-cost-cyber-operations
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https://www.icrc.org/en/document/potential-human-cost-cyber-operations
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Since then, additional attacks against the health-care sector have been reported from countries including France, Spain, Thailand, and the US.
https://www.businessinsider.com/hospitals-are-facing-for-unprecedented-cyber-threats-amid-covid-19-2020-4?utmSource=twitter&utmContent=referral&utmTerm=topbar&referrer=twitter
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https://www.businessinsider.com/hospitals-are-facing-for-unprecedented-cyber-threats-amid-covid-19-2020-4?utmSource=twitter&utmContent=referral&utmTerm=topbar&referrer=twitter
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In late March, my colleagues Laurent Gisel, @TRodenhaeuser, and I wrote an article for @just_security, the central argument of which was clear: international law provides robust protections against cyber attacks targeting hospitals.
https://twitter.com/KuboMacak/status/1243551317295063040
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https://twitter.com/KuboMacak/status/1243551317295063040
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Over the month of April, many States and international organizations spoke out to underline that medical facilities must be respected and protected against cyber harm:
https://twitter.com/CDroegeICRC/status/1256218124342439936
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https://twitter.com/CDroegeICRC/status/1256218124342439936
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In May, @ELAC_Oxford organized an important high-level expert workshop, which adopted a statement that emphasized much of the existing legal protections afforded to health-care facilities targeted by malicious cyber operations:
https://twitter.com/ELAC_Oxford/status/1263446565693403141
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https://twitter.com/ELAC_Oxford/status/1263446565693403141
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As of now, the statement was signed by over 100 (!) international law scholars from all over the world, adding to the weight and legitimacy of the legal positions it endorses:
https://www.elac.ox.ac.uk/the-oxford-statement-on-the-international-law-protections-against-cyber-operations-targeting-the-hea
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https://www.elac.ox.ac.uk/the-oxford-statement-on-the-international-law-protections-against-cyber-operations-targeting-the-hea
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And this gets us to today, when this happened:
https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/05/26/technology/26reuters-health-coronavirus-redcross.html?smid=tw-share
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https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/05/26/technology/26reuters-health-coronavirus-redcross.html?smid=tw-share
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This morning, more than 40 global leaders called on the governments of the world to work together to stop cyber attacks on the health-care sector
https://blogs.icrc.org/law-and-policy/2020/05/26/call-global-leaders-stop-cyberattacks-healthcare/
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https://blogs.icrc.org/law-and-policy/2020/05/26/call-global-leaders-stop-cyberattacks-healthcare/
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Our President @PMaurerICRC is among the signatories of the letter:
https://twitter.com/PMaurerICRC/status/1265189884962254850
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https://twitter.com/PMaurerICRC/status/1265189884962254850
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As are the leading international lawyers Dapo Akande, Zhixiong Huang, and @Schmitt_ILaw. Their support strengthens the key message of the letter:
"cyber operations against heath care facilities are unlawful and unacceptable"
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"cyber operations against heath care facilities are unlawful and unacceptable"
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I hope that the decision-makers around the world will heed the call to work together to ensure that medical facilities are respected and protected, and to hold perpetrators accountable.
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The pandemic has brought much suffering to many people. But the events described in this thread give me hope that it will also become an important wake-up call about the danger that cyber attacks against health-care facilities may pose in the future.
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