The Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust were hit by a cyberattack on Sunday, October 30th. The computer virus forced the three hospitals in its organization to go offline and caused the cancellation of all routine operations and outpatient appointments. In a message released on their website (see below), the organization says that a major incident occurred and that all patients should avoid visiting if possible.
“A virus infected our electronic systems [on Sunday], and we have taken the decision, following expert advice, to shut down the majority of our systems so we can isolate and destroy it,” said Dr. Karen Dunderdale, the trust’s deputy chief executive.
According to their website, Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust provide acute hospital services and community services to a population of more than 350,000 people across the North and North East Lincolnshire and East Riding of Yorkshire. The hospitals have 850 beds across three hospitals and employ around 6,500 members on their staff.
The malware that hit hospitals previously has been various forms ransomware, where hackers infiltrate networks and demand a ransom in order to regain access to their data. However, executives at the Trust have quashed rumors that a hacker is demanding ransom in this attack. It is assumed that this attack is completely random and at the moment, it appears that no patient information has been accessed.
The UK Declares 1.9 Billion in Funding to Cybersecurity
The cyberattack against the Trust comes as Chancellor Philip Hammond warned that the country must take greater steps to defend itself against cyberattacks. The UK has promised that international hackers who launch attacks against organizations will be retaliated against as they intend to protect infrastructure, businesses, and citizens from online threats. These tactics come from the government’s National Cyber Security Strategy which is backed by 1.9 billion pounds in funding.
“Our new strategy, underpinned by 1.9 billion pounds of support over five years and excellent partnerships with industry and academia, will allow us to take even greater steps to defend ourselves in cyberspace and to strike back when we are attacked,” said Hammond. “We must now keep up with the scale and pace of the threats we face.”
This announcement comes after experts predicted that cybersecurity spending will surpass $100 billion by 2020.
