The SickKids Hospital in Toronto, a leading pediatric healthcare institution in Canada, has faced severe cyberattack-induced disruptions, resulting in critical treatment delays for patients, including children requiring urgent medical interventions. The attack strained an already overburdened healthcare system, exacerbating risks to patient safety, trust, and service continuity. While the report does not specify data breaches, the operational impact included cancelled surgeries, derailed treatment plans (e.g., chemotherapy, surgeries), and systemic shutdowns, directly threatening lives. The incident aligns with a broader national crisis in Canada’s healthcare sector, where cyber threats are escalating mirroring global trends in the UK and US. The financial and reputational fallout, though not quantified for SickKids specifically, reflects a pattern of multi-million-dollar recovery costs (e.g., Newfoundland’s $16M breach) and long-term erosion of public confidence in healthcare resilience. The attack underscores how cyber vulnerabilities in healthcare transcend data security, directly endangering human lives by crippling essential services.
TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/the-hospital-for-sick-children
"id": "the2263622102725",
"linkid": "the-hospital-for-sick-children",
"type": "Cyber Attack",
"date": "10/2025",
"severity": "100",
"impact": "7",
"explanation": "Attack that could injure or kill people"{'affected_entities': [{'industry': 'Healthcare',
'location': 'Toronto, Ontario, Canada',
'name': 'SickKids Hospital',
'type': 'Hospital'},
{'industry': 'Healthcare',
'location': 'Ontario, Canada',
'name': 'Healthcare System of Ontario',
'type': 'Regional Healthcare Provider'},
{'customers_affected': 'Thousands of patients '
'(procedures disrupted)',
'industry': 'Healthcare',
'location': 'Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada',
'name': 'Healthcare System of Newfoundland and '
'Labrador',
'type': 'Provincial Healthcare Provider'}],
'customer_advisories': ['Patients advised of potential delays and disruptions '
'due to cyber incidents.',
'Public awareness raised about the life-threatening '
'consequences of healthcare cyberattacks.'],
'data_breach': {'personally_identifiable_information': True,
'sensitivity_of_data': 'High (patient health records, '
'personally identifiable information)',
'type_of_data_compromised': ['Patient data',
'Operational data']},
'description': 'The Canadian Cybersecurity Network (CCN) reports an '
'acceleration of cyberattacks on Canada’s healthcare system, '
'threatening patient safety, trust, and service continuity. '
'Incidents include cancelled surgeries in Ontario, treatment '
'delays at Toronto’s SickKids Hospital, and a province-wide '
'breach in Newfoundland and Labrador costing US$16 million and '
'disrupting thousands of procedures. The report emphasizes the '
'life-threatening consequences of cyberattacks on healthcare, '
'noting that a single click can cancel surgeries, derail '
'treatment plans, and halt patient care. The threat is '
'described as a growing national crisis, with global parallels '
'in the UK and US healthcare systems.',
'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': ['Loss of patient trust',
'Erosion of confidence in healthcare '
'system resilience'],
'data_compromised': True,
'downtime': True,
'financial_loss': 'US$16 million (Newfoundland and Labrador '
'breach)',
'identity_theft_risk': True,
'operational_impact': ['Cancelled surgeries (Ontario)',
'Treatment delays (SickKids Hospital, '
'Toronto)',
'Disruption of thousands of procedures '
'(Newfoundland and Labrador)'],
'systems_affected': ['Hospital IT systems',
'Patient data systems',
'Operational workflows']},
'initial_access_broker': {'high_value_targets': ['Patient data',
'Hospital IT systems',
'Critical healthcare '
'operations']},
'investigation_status': 'Ongoing (as per CCN report warnings)',
'lessons_learned': ['Cybersecurity in healthcare is critical for protecting '
'patient lives, not just data.',
'A unified national response is required to address '
'systemic vulnerabilities in Canada’s healthcare system.',
'Every healthcare worker, policymaker, and leader has a '
'role in strengthening cyber defenses.'],
'motivation': ['Financial Gain',
'Disruption of Critical Services',
'Data Theft'],
'post_incident_analysis': {'corrective_actions': ['Develop and implement a '
'national cybersecurity '
'framework for healthcare.',
'Strengthen cybersecurity '
'training and awareness '
'programs for healthcare '
'staff.',
'Enhance incident response '
'and recovery capabilities '
'across healthcare '
'providers.',
'Foster public-private '
'partnerships to improve '
'threat intelligence '
'sharing and mitigation.'],
'root_causes': ['Systemic vulnerabilities in '
'healthcare cybersecurity '
'defenses.',
'Lack of unified national strategy '
'for cyber resilience in '
'healthcare.',
'Insufficient investment in '
'cybersecurity infrastructure and '
'training.']},
'recommendations': ['Implement a unified national cybersecurity strategy for '
'healthcare.',
'Increase investment in cybersecurity infrastructure and '
'training for healthcare workers.',
'Enhance collaboration between healthcare providers, '
'cybersecurity experts, and policymakers.',
'Prioritize cybersecurity as a core component of patient '
'safety and operational resilience.'],
'references': [{'source': 'Canadian Cybersecurity Network (CCN) – Pulse Check '
'– National Cybersecurity in Healthcare Report'},
{'source': 'inCyber Forum, Montreal'}],
'response': {'communication_strategy': ['Public report by Canadian '
'Cybersecurity Network (CCN)',
'Statements from François Guay (CCN '
'CEO), Elias Diab (Accerta VP), and '
'Dr. Benoit Desjardins (CHUM)']},
'stakeholder_advisories': ['Healthcare workers, policymakers, and leaders '
'urged to take immediate action.',
'Call for national collaboration to protect '
'healthcare systems from cyber threats.'],
'title': 'Surge in Cyberattacks Threatening Canada’s Healthcare System',
'type': ['Cyberattack', 'Data Breach', 'Operational Disruption']}