Mérida court investigates cyberattack on Extremadura Health Service

A court in Mérida is investigating a cyberattack against the Servicio Extremeño de Salud (SES) that compromised the sensitive medical data of 18,416 patients. The breach involved more than 334,000 health records, including diagnoses, treatments, and medical histories.

National Police have detained a man in Mérida suspected of orchestrating the attack. Investigators believe the suspect used an automated process via an anonymous virtual server hosted abroad to access the CSOnline portal. During a judicial raid on the suspect's residence, authorities seized high-performance computer systems for forensic analysis.

Preliminary findings from the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ) suggest the individual intended to sell the stolen information on cybercrime forums, although no distribution to third parties has been confirmed. Among those whose data was exposed is María Guardiola, the President of the Junta de Extremadura. The suspect faces potential charges related to the discovery and revelation of secrets, as well as illicit access to computer systems.