Major hospitals in London were forced to cancel some surgical procedures due to a cyber attack on a key service provider, particularly affecting blood transfusion operations. The attack targeted "Synovis," impacting "King's College," "Guy's," and "St Thomas'" hospitals in central London, according to internal memos shared on social media.
Ian Abbs, the CEO of Guy's and St Thomas' Foundation, stated in a memo, "I can confirm that our partner in pathology, Synovis, experienced a significant IT incident earlier today, which is ongoing." He added, "This has a major impact on our service delivery, especially affecting blood transfusions." He mentioned that some activities have already been canceled or redirected to other service providers.
Health Services Journal (HSJ) reported via high-level sources that the hospitals' electronic system suffered a ransomware attack, a type of viral software. One source indicated that it could take "weeks, not days" to access patient results.
What is a Ransomware Attack?
According to the World Health Organization, a ransomware attack is a type of malicious software (malware) that infects digital systems and prevents end users from accessing their data and applications by encrypting essential information. The perpetrators demand a sum of money (ransom) in exchange for restoring access to the data, typically requesting payment in cryptocurrencies that are difficult for law enforcement authorities to trace. The organization urges member states and health sector bodies to enhance their cyber readiness in anticipation of potential cyber attacks.
