Data breaches putting domestic abuse victims’ lives at risk, says UK watchdog

Councils, police forces and hospitals are putting women’s lives at risk by accidentally disclosing domestic abuse victims’ addresses to perpetrators, the UK’s information watchdog has said. John Edwards, the information commissioner, who has reprimanded seven organisations in just over a Read More …

UK: Hacking gang BlackCat says it stole data trove from the Barts Health NHS Trust

A gang of cybercriminals says it has breached one of the UK’s largest hospital groups and is threatening to publish a trove of its confidential data. The gang, known as ALPHV or BlackCat, posted a statement on Friday claiming it Read More …

NHS data breach: trusts shared patient details with Facebook without consent

NHS trusts are sharing intimate details about patients’ medical conditions, appointments and treatments with Facebook without consent and despite promising never to do so. An Observer investigation has uncovered a covert tracking tool in the websites of 20 NHS trusts Read More …

Failed IT systems at Capita fuel fears of cyber-attack on crucial NHS provider

Computer systems have abruptly stopped working at the outsourcing group Capita, knocking out council phone lines and triggering fears that the company that runs crucial operations for the NHS and the military could be under cyber-attack. Capita staff are understood Read More …

UK Government sets out strategy to protect NHS from cyber attacks

The government will provide a plan to promote cyber resilience across the health and care sectors by 2030, protecting both services and patients. New strategy sets out 5 key ways to build cyber resilience in health and care by 2030 Read More …

NHS tech chief dismisses concerns over loss of statutory power to protect patient data

An outgoing NHS tech chief has defended the decision to merge his organization with a UK government-run unit, arguably diluting the statuary protection of patient data. Simon Bolton, interim chief executive of the soon-to-be-defunct NHS Digital, said the merger of Read More …

East Londoners nicked under Computer Misuse Act after NHS vaccine passport app sprouted clump of fake entries

British police have made a series of arrests over the past few months after people with apparent access to NHS databases allegedly sold fake vaccination status entries on the NHS vaccine passport app. This week the Metropolitan Police’s Cyber Crime Read More …

NHS Digital exposes hundreds of email addresses after BCC blunder copies in entire invite list to ‘Let’s talk cyber’ event

NHS Digital has scored a classic Mail All own-goal by dispatching not one, not two, not three, but four emails concerning an infosec breakfast briefing, each time copying the entirety of the invite list in on the messages. The first Read More …

How UK National Health Service learned the lessons of WannaCry to protect hospitals from attack

Four years ago, the UK’s National Health Service suddenly found itself one of the most high-profile victims of a global cyberattack. On 12 May 2017, WannaCry ransomware hit organisations around the world, but hospitals and GP surgeries throughout England and Read More …