A Russian cyber gang known as Qilin is believed to be responsible for a ransomware attack that disrupted several hospitals in London, leading to canceled operations and appointments. According to Ciaran Martin, former head of British cybersecurity, the attack on Synnovis, which provides pathology lab services for NHS hospitals, was one of the more serious ransomware attacks in the UK as it completely disabled operations.
The incident affected hospitals run by King’s College and Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospital trusts, as well as clinics and doctors’ practices across the city, causing a major impact on services, particularly blood transfusions. The incident was reported to the police, and Synnovis Chief Executive Mark Dollar stated they were still trying to understand what happened.
Ransomware is a form of cybercrime where criminals paralyze computer systems with malware and demand money for their release. It is difficult to combat as most gangs are based in former Soviet states and out of reach of Western justice. This is not the first time the UK’s health system has been targeted, as in 2017 a ransomware attack froze computers at hospitals across the country.
Qilin, also known as Agenda, advertises on dark web cybercrime forums and leases malware to affiliates for conducting attacks. The group has listed more than 100 victims. The incident highlights the growing threat of cyberattacks on critical infrastructure and the importance of cybersecurity measures to protect against such attacks.
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