Ransomware Attack Affects Hospital Services in London

London’s busiest hospitals are facing significant disruptions in their service delivery due to a ransomware attack, as reported by the region’s healthcare authorities on Tuesday.

As per a statement released by the National Health Service (NHS) England London region, the ransomware attack targeted Synnovis, a provider of laboratory services, causing severe disruptions.

The statement further mentioned that the attack has had a significant impact on the operations at Guy’s and St Thomas’, King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trusts, and primary healthcare services in southeast London.

Efforts are underway to assess the ramifications of the incident as the healthcare authorities collaborate closely with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and their internal cybersecurity team to address the issue promptly.

A cyber incident back in May 2017, which affected numerous businesses and governmental services globally, resulted in the disruption of services across over a third of England’s 236 NHS trusts, leading to the cancellation of approximately 19,000 appointments within a week’s span.

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AndyC

Andy Curtis is an award-winning security consultant, researcher and public speaker. He has been working in the computer security industry since the early 1990s, having been employed by state and federal government, leading healthcare and banking providers across three continents. He has given talks about computer security for some of the world’s largest companies, worked with law enforcement agencies on investigations into hacking groups, and is a regular voice on TV and radio explaining IT security threats.

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