Click to Ransom

Synopsis

In rural Japan, a ransomware attack targets a hospital 670 kilometers from Tokyo, leaving staff unable to access critical patient data. As printers begin to output alarming messages about stolen and encrypted information, the hospital faces a crisis. With surgeries postponed and emergency cases turned away, the staff must decide whether to pay the ransom or attempt to restore their systems independently. The incident highlights the alarming rise of global ransomware attacks, which surged by 168% between 2021 and 2022, costing an estimated $20 billion in 2023.