Former network security COO pleads guilty to hacking Georgia hospital

On Nov. 16, a cybersecurity contractor admitted guilt for unlawfully accessing the computer systems of Lawrenceville, Ga.-based Gwinnett Medical Center back in 2018, Law360 reported.

Vikas Singla, who was the COO of a metro Atlanta network security firm specializing in healthcare, pleaded guilty to orchestrating a cyberattack on Gwinnett, according to the publication.

During the attack, phone lines were disrupted, as well as the network printer service.

Mr. Singla also was able to illicitly obtain data from a digitizing device from the hospital during the attack. 

The government said the crime cost Gwinnett Medical Center $800,000 and that the cyberattack was, in part, carried out with the intention of securing financial benefits for Mr. Singla’s company.

Mr. Singla was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 8, 2021.