Cyber criminals have targeted at least 28 NHS England trusts with ransomware in the last 12 months, according to newly released figures.
The rate of attacks was revealed to the i newspaper following a Freedom of Information (FoI) request by cybersecurity firm NCC Group, with up to four being considered serious enough "they had to be reported as a potential breach of data protection or confidentiality laws".
While only around 14% of the total number of NHS trusts in England were affected, millions of patients' data were potentially at risk. However, no ransom was ever paid and no data ever lost, according to NHS Digital, the body which oversees cybersecurity for the health service.
Ollie Whitehouse, technical director of NCC Group, told i: "Ransomware has become the bottom line of cybercrime if hackers break into a system and can't find any other way to monetise what they find, they encrypt the data and demand a ransom. We have seen a 400% increase in these attacks.
"The health service is by no means alone in facing this kind of attack. But NHS trusts are being increasingly targeted and any loss of patient data would be a nightmare scenario. Like everyone else, they need to be applying robust controls."
In a statement to i, NHS Digital said: "Incidents are rare and in the last year there have been fewer than five reports of ransomware attacks on individual machines on a network used by around two million people. In all reported cases, effective and swift action was taken and no ransoms have been paid.
"Like all organisations the NHS is subject to malicious attacks on its systems and, like all organisations, these attempted attacks are rising. But we are taking action to ensure information is as safe as possible."
-
Cleo attack victim list grows as Hertz confirms customer data stolenNews Hertz has confirmed it suffered a data breach as a result of the Cleo zero-day vulnerability in late 2024, with the car rental giant warning that customer data was stolen.
-
Lateral moves in tech: Why leaders should support employee mobilityIn-depth Encouraging staff to switch roles can have long-term benefits for skills in the tech sector
-
Cleo attack victim list grows as Hertz confirms customer data stolen – and security experts say it won't be the last
News Hertz has confirmed it suffered a data breach as a result of the Cleo zero-day vulnerability in late 2024, with the car rental giant warning that customer data was stolen.
-
‘Phishing kits are a force multiplier': Cheap cyber crime kits can be bought on the dark web for less than $25 – and experts warn it’s lowering the barrier of entry for amateur hackersNews Research from NordVPN shows phishing kits are now widely available on the dark web and via messaging apps like Telegram, and are often selling for less than $25.
-
Healthcare systems are rife with exploits — and ransomware gangs have noticedNews Nearly nine-in-ten healthcare organizations have medical devices that are vulnerable to exploits, and ransomware groups are taking notice.
-
NHS supplier hit with £3m fine for security failings that led to attackNews Advanced Computer Software Group lacked MFA, comprehensive vulnerability scanning and proper patch management
-
Alleged LockBit developer extradited to the USNews A Russian-Israeli man has been extradited to the US amid accusations of being a key LockBit ransomware developer.
-
February was the worst month on record for ransomware attacks – and one threat group had a field dayNews February 2025 was the worst month on record for the number of ransomware attacks, according to new research from Bitdefender.
-
CISA issues warning over Medusa ransomware after 300 victims from critical sectors impactedNews The Medusa ransomware as a Service operation compromised twice as many organizations at the start of 2025 compared to 2024
-
Warning issued over prolific 'Ghost' ransomware groupNews The Ghost ransomware group is known to act fast and exploit vulnerabilities in public-facing appliances
