Ethical Hacking News
The NHS has declared a "major cyber incident" for the third time this year, with the Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Trust cancelling all outpatient appointments due to "cybersecurity reasons." The trust is dealing with the fallout as of Tuesday morning, and officials remain tight-lipped about the specifics of the attack.
The National Health Service (NHS) has been hit by a major cyber incident, leaving thousands of patients without access to their outpatient appointments.The incident was caused by "cybersecurity reasons" and officials refused to provide further details about the nature of the attack.Patients were advised to only attend hospitals' emergency departments for genuine emergencies and use alternative services for non-urgent health concerns.This is the third major cyber incident to hit the NHS this year, following previous incidents in June and February.The latest incident raises concerns about the effectiveness of the NHS's cybersecurity measures and highlights the need for improved security protocols.
The National Health Service (NHS) has once again been hit by a major cyber incident, leaving thousands of patients without access to their outpatient appointments. The Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Trust, which oversees several hospitals in North West England, declared the incident on Monday and announced that all outpatient appointments scheduled for that day were cancelled.
According to the trust's statement, the "major incident" was caused by "cybersecurity reasons," but officials refused to provide further details about the nature of the attack. The trust assured patients that business continuity processes are in place to ensure patient safety, and they will contact affected patients as soon as possible to rearrange their appointments.
Locals were asked to only attend the hospitals' emergency departments for genuine emergencies, such as chest pains, choking, or serious injuries. The trust urged patients with non-urgent health concerns to use NHS 111, visit a walk-in center, urgent treatment center, or pharmacist instead of attending the hospital.
This is the third major cyber incident to hit the NHS this year. In June, Qilin's ransomware strike affected pathology services provider Synnovis, causing over 10,000 appointments and nearly 2,000 procedures to be cancelled. The attack also had a significant impact on systems used for cross-matching blood transfusions, leading to urgent appeals for blood donors.
Just months later, in February, the NHS Dumfries and Galloway Trust was hit by an intrusion that left thousands of patient records stolen. The attackers claimed to have stolen 3TB worth of data, including millions of files, which they published on a leak site.
The CEO of the NHS Dumfries and Galloway Trust, Julie White, warned patients that the stolen data could be used for extortion and phishing, as well as causing mental health repercussions due to its publication. The trust assured patients that patient care was not disrupted as a result of the February intrusion, but acknowledged that criminals had accessed and uploaded thousands of people's data.
The latest cyber incident has raised concerns about the effectiveness of the NHS's cybersecurity measures. In recent years, there have been several high-profile breaches and attacks on NHS systems, highlighting the need for improved security protocols to protect patient data.
The NHS has faced significant challenges in recent years, including funding constraints and staffing shortages. The latest cyber incident adds to these pressures, highlighting the need for a robust cybersecurity strategy to safeguard patient care and prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
As the NHS continues to deal with the fallout from this latest attack, it is essential that officials provide more information about the specifics of the incident and the measures being taken to address it. The public's trust in the NHS relies on transparency and accountability when it comes to cybersecurity incidents, and it is crucial that the trust maintains open communication channels with patients and stakeholders.
In conclusion, the third cyber incident in a year has highlighted the ongoing challenges facing the NHS in terms of cybersecurity. While business continuity processes are in place to ensure patient safety, it is essential that officials provide more information about the specifics of the attack and take proactive measures to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
Related Information:
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/11/26/third_major_cyber_incident_declared/
Published: Tue Nov 26 05:48:37 2024 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
