Romania Cyber-Attack: 100 Hospitals Switched to Pen and Paper

A nationwide cyber-attack targeting Romanian hospitals forced dozens of medical facilities offline for four days, pushing healthcare staff across the country to revert to traditional pen-and-paper record-keeping while cyber-security experts worked to neutralise the threat.

Scale of the Disruption

Approximately 100 hospitals were affected by the attack, which hit the integrated hospital management systems used across Romania's healthcare network. Digital records, appointment systems, laboratory results, and prescription databases were all taken offline, forcing clinical staff to document patient information manually — a significant operational challenge in any modern healthcare setting.

The attack is one of the most disruptive cyber incidents targeting health infrastructure in Europe in recent years. Hospitals remained operational and continued providing care throughout the disruption, but delays and increased administrative pressure on frontline staff were unavoidable.

Response and Recovery

Cyber-security experts and national authorities were mobilised to contain the damage and restore systems. After four days of intensive work, services were progressively brought back online. The incident has renewed calls for increased investment in cyber-resilience across public health infrastructure, where the sensitivity of patient data and the critical nature of care delivery make hospitals particularly attractive targets for hackers.