Massive NHS Cyberattack by Russian Hackers Exposes 300 Million Patient Records, Disrupts Services.
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Catastrophic Hospital Hack Exposes NHS Data
In a shocking cyberattack, Russian hackers known as the Qilin group have stolen records covering 300 million patient interactions from the NHS, including sensitive results from blood tests for HIV and cancer. This breach has caused significant alarm among NHS officials, who are now scrambling to set up a helpline to address the concerns of affected patients and staff.
The hack targeted Synnovis, a joint venture between the private company Synlab and two major London hospital trusts, Guy’s and St Thomas’, and King’s College Hospital. This venture provides essential pathology services such as blood tests and transfusions. The attack has severely disrupted operations at seven hospitals run by these trusts, leading to the cancellation of over 1,100 planned surgeries, including critical cancer and transplant operations, and postponing more than 2,100 outpatient appointments .
The ransomware group Qilin demanded a $50 million ransom, which appears to have been refused by Synnovis, prompting the hackers to begin releasing the stolen data. This includes detailed results of blood tests for various medical procedures, including organ transplants and tests for sexually transmitted infections. The hackers have already posted 104 files totaling approximately 380GB of data, which reportedly contains patient names, dates of birth, NHS numbers, and descriptions of tests .
The NHS is collaborating with the National Cyber Security Centre to mitigate the attack’s impact and restore services. Meanwhile, hospitals are rationing blood tests and redirecting patients to other facilities to manage the backlog. The Health Secretary, Victoria Atkins, has emphasized that patient safety is the top priority, and efforts are being made to resume normal services as quickly as possible .
This incident underscores the growing threat of cyberattacks on critical infrastructure and the need for robust cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive health data. The repercussions of this hack are expected to be long-lasting, affecting patient care and trust in the NHS’s ability to safeguard personal information.
For more detailed information, you can refer to the original sources from The Independent, Evening Standard, and LBC.
1. Russian cyber criminals behind hospital ransomware attack, says former security chief | The Independent
2. NHS cyber attack causing chaos in London hits other hospitals in UK | The Independent
3. Russian cyber criminal gang behind ransomware attack on London hospitals that forced… - LBC
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