Russian Hackers Have Caused More Than 1,000 British National Health Operations And 2,000 Examinations To Be Canceled By Attacking The Pathology Service In London, reported the “Times” newspaper, quoted by BNR.
Cybercriminals from the Qilin group, which usually demands a ransom, hacked on June 3 Synnovis, a laboratory that provides tests for five hospitals and general practices in the capital. The attack paralyzed the company's computer system, blocking the digital ordering of tests and the delivery of results. The tests are often a prerequisite for hospital admission and operations. The NHS said 1,134 procedures and 2,194 outpatient appointments were postponed at a number of London's biggest and busiest hospitals.
Doctors have been warned that full restoration of services could take a long time, as far back as September. Blood transfusion is one of the most affected procedures. Qilin has claimed responsibility for the hacking attack and posted a notice on its website threatening to publish data taken from Synnovis on June 20. The hackers are said to have demanded $50 million to unblock the computer system and return the stolen data. “Bloomberg“ quoted the hackers as saying their attack was justified as retaliation for the British government's involvement in wars, without specifying which.