London Hospitals Hit by Cyberattack: Years of Ignored Warnings Lead to Chaos
Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust cyberattack in June 2024 forced five London hospitals to cancel operations and divert ambulances. Hundreds of procedures have been postponed. Documents reveal vulnerabilities were known for years, leaving the trust’s cybersecurity in question.
Hot Take:
Who knew that hospital drama could be more intense off-screen than on Grey’s Anatomy? Despite knowing about vulnerabilities for years, these London hospitals got caught with their digital pants down! It’s like knowing you have a leaky boat and still going on a fishing trip.
Key Points:
- Five London hospitals were hit by a cyberattack, causing the cancellation of operations and ambulance diversions.
- The vulnerabilities exploited by hackers had been known for years.
- The attack targeted Synnovis, the pathology services provider for Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust.
- The Russian ransomware group Qilin has been blamed for the attack.
- Efforts to modernize IT infrastructure were ongoing, but third-party interfaces remained a weak link.
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