Sources say information technology (IT) firms bidding for medical database software are to blame for cybersecurity loopholes after several cyberattack attempts targeting hospitals were reported on Wednesday. The Health Ministry launched a probe into allegations of negligence by IT firms and hospital administrators for the security of hospital databases.Hospitals run by the ministry in the southeastern cities of Diyarbakır and Siirt and the northwestern cities of Tekirdağ and Kocaeli faced cyberattacks on Wednesday but authorities have downplayed its impact. Media outlets have claimed hackers linked to the group Anonymous stole patient information, though the reports were not confirmed by authorities. Authorities said the cyberattacks mostly hit hospitals in Diyarbakır, leading to a brief disruption to patient admission and laboratory services and "backup servers" prevented further disruptions.Sources said some IT firms working with hospitals that were replaced by new IT subcontractors are suspected of deliberately leaving behind security vulnerabilities, helping hackers to exploit them, highlighting that was why the cyberattacks were confined to four cities where the same IT firms were contracted by hospitals.