London hospitals became the latest target of nationwide ransomware attacks affecting healthcare sectors in Western countries.
According to a BBC report on Tuesday, several major hospitals have to cancel operations and redirect emergency patients following reports of a massive cyberattack campaign last Monday.
(Photo : Jack Taylor/Getty Images)
The United Kingdom's National Health Service added King's College Hospital, Guy's and St Thomas', the Royal Brompton, and Evelina London Children's Hospital among institutions that felt a "significant impact" from the attack.
An earlier investigation has already confirmed that the service disruptions were caused by a cyberattack on pathology tech service provider Synnovis's IT systems.
No cybercrime group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. The NHS's London branch is already coordinating with the National Cyber Security Centre to track down perpetrators and restore the healthcare systems.
The June 3 cyberattacks mark the second major service disruption in the UK's state-funded health sector since 2017 and the third time in health sectors in Western nations this year.
Also Read: Canadian Pharmacy Becomes Latest Victim of Cyberattacks on Healthcare Businesses
More Ransomware Attacks Hit Healthcare Sectors in 2024
The ransomware attack on Synnovis follows a series of cyberattack campaigns launched on health sectors in Western countries, primarily in the US and Canada.
Earlier last month, Canadian-based pharmacy chain London Drugs reported a nationwide ransomware attack as all digital services were shut down across 79 stores.
This came after UnitedHealth, one of the biggest healthcare providers in the US, has been breached one of its subsidiaries' systems.
A subsequent investigation revealed that the ransomware attack could have affected a "substantial" number of Americans if the firm did not pay the $22 million ransom demand.
Related Article: UnitedHealth Data Breach Could Affect 'Substantial' Number of Americans
World Gov'ts Blame Russian, Chinese Hackers for Ransomware Attacks
Amid the rising numbers of cyberattacks, the US and British governments have also been ramping up accusations against their Russian and Chinese counterparts for launching ransomware campaigns.
It can be remembered that the perpetrator of the UnitedHealth attack was BlackCat, a Russian-based cybercrime group repeatedly linked with Russian intelligence agencies.
Coincidentally, the attacks also happened as more US-allied nations implemented trade sanctions on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Both nations repeatedly denied the accusations.
