2023 Nominees

Click To Ransom

Peddling Pictures, CNA

SINGAPORE

- Science & Technology

A nurse on night duty at a rural hospital 670km away from Tokyo realises something is amiss when multiple office printers begin spewing out strange printouts. The papers contain a frightening message: all the hospital’s data has been stolen and encrypted, and if they want it back, they will have to pay a ransom. The hospital has become the victim of a ransomware attack.   Described as the world’s most frightening cyber security threat, global ransomware attacks increased by a jaw-dropping 168% between 2021-2022, and are estimated to cost the world a staggering $20 billion this year.   Within seconds, the hospital’s electronic medical records have become inaccessible. No longer able to retrieve crucial patient data, staff are forced to postpone surgeries, turn away emergency cases, and switch to a paper-based data system from scratch. The hospital declares the attack a disaster. Will they be able to get their systems back online or do they have to give in to the ransom demand?