{"id":38087,"date":"2024-07-08T05:35:14","date_gmt":"2024-07-08T05:35:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kede.com.br\/news\/ex-security-chief-warns-of-future-attacks\/"},"modified":"2024-07-08T05:35:15","modified_gmt":"2024-07-08T05:35:15","slug":"ex-security-chief-warns-of-future-attacks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kede.com.br\/news\/ex-security-chief-warns-of-future-attacks\/","title":{"rendered":"Ex security chief warns of future attacks"},"content":{"rendered":"


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By\u00a0Guy Lynn and Stephen Menon,\u00a0<\/span>guy_lynn<\/a>,\u00a0BBC Investigations, London<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\"BlavatnikBlavatnik School of Government<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Ciaran Martin, former head of the National Cyber Security Centre said hack was “one of the most serious cyber incidents in British history”<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
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A leading cybersecurity expert has warned that the NHS remains vulnerable to further cyber-attacks unless it updates its computer systems. <\/p>\n

This stark assessment comes in the wake of a major ransomware attack that has severely disrupted healthcare services across London.<\/p>\n

Prof Ciaran Martin, the founding CEO of the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), told the BBC: “I was horrified, but not completely surprised. Ransomware attacks on healthcare are a major global problem.”<\/p>\n

NHS England said it was increasing its cybersecurity resilience and had invested \u00a3338m in the past seven years addressing this issue. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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St Thomas’ Hospital: Ground zero for one of the hospitals which suffered of Britain’s most severe cyber-attacks on healthcare<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
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But Prof Martin’s warnings suggest more urgent action may be needed.<\/p>\n

A recent British Medical Association report<\/a> highlighted the NHS’s ageing IT infrastructure, revealing that doctors waste 13.5 million hours annually due to outdated systems – equivalent to 8,000 full-time medics’ time.<\/p>\n

The 3 June cyber-attack, which Prof Martin described as one of the most serious in British history, targeted Synnovis, a pathology testing organisation, severely affecting services including at Guy’s, St Thomas’, King’s College and Evelina London Children’s Hospitals.<\/p>\n

NHS England declared it a regional incident, resulting in 4,913 acute outpatient appointments and 1,391 operations postponed and major data security concerns.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The Russian-based hacking group Qilin, believed to be part of a Kremlin-protected cyber army, demanded a \u00a340m ransom. When the NHS refused to pay, the group published stolen data on the dark web.<\/p>\n

This incident reflects a growing trend of Russian cyber criminals targeting global healthcare systems.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Cutting-edge systems are crucial when protecting patient data from cyber criminals<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
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Now a professor at the University of Oxford, Prof Martin highlighted three critical issues facing NHS cybersecurity: outdated IT systems, the need to identify vulnerable points, and the importance of basic security practices. <\/p>\n

He warned: “In parts of the NHS estate, it’s quite clear that some of the IT is out of date.” <\/p>\n

He stressed the importance of identifying “single points of failure” in the system and implementing better backups. <\/p>\n

Prof Martin also emphasised that improving basic security measures could significantly hinder attackers, stating: “Those little things make the point of entry quite a lot harder for the thugs to get in.”<\/p>\n

Emphasising the severity of the recent attack, he concluded: “It was obvious that this was going to be one of the most serious cyber incidents in British history because of the disruption to healthcare.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

‘Cybersecurity is costly’<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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Some front-line staff who spoke anonymously are very worried following the recent cyber attacks, with reference being made to outdated equipment they are using.<\/p>\n

A senior intensive care doctor in London warned: “The NHS is vulnerable. <\/p>\n

“It’s a patient safety issue, but there’s no interest in addressing it. People either don’t know or don’t want to hear about it.”<\/p>\n

An A&E consultant in north London told us they were working with “decade-old computers and Windows 7” and that their systems crashed “every few months” while a junior doctor highlighted the risks of outdated equipment and privatization.<\/p>\n

“Old computers pose a security risk for patient data. The Synnovis incident shows how vulnerable we are,” the doctor said.<\/p>\n

A senior orthopaedic surgeon described the fragmented nature of NHS IT: “There’s no unified system. A patient’s X-ray in one hospital can’t be accessed in another. <\/p>\n

“It’s shocking and worrying for cybersecurity.”<\/p>\n

Another junior doctor added: “The NHS isn’t doing enough. <\/p>\n

“Cybersecurity is costly, and our funding has been cut for over a decade. <\/p>\n

“It’s incredibly frustrating.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Experts say basic security measures such as multi-factor authorisation (MFA) could thwart many cyber-attacks<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
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Dr Daniel Gardham from the Surrey Centre for Cyber Security echoed Prof Martin’s concerns about outdated systems and their potential link to cyber-attacks.<\/p>\n

“If you have old computers, then simply put, there’s going to be unpatched vulnerabilities,” he said. <\/p>\n

“This means that there are ways in for attackers.”<\/p>\n

Dr Gardham stressed that while sophisticated attacks did occur, many breaches result from basic security oversights.<\/p>\n

“It could be something really, really, simple and actually most likely it is something very, very, simple. <\/p>\n

“It would be one person, perhaps, that had a weak password or left their computer unattended in a cafe. <\/p>\n

“A lot of cyber security attacks are not sophisticated.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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An NHS England spokesperson told the BBC: “We are increasing cyber resilience across the NHS and over \u00a3338 million has been invested over the past seven years to help keep health and care organisations as safe as possible. <\/p>\n

“Our ambitious Cyber Improvement Programme will support the NHS to respond to the changing cyber threats, expand protection and reduce the risk of a successful attack.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n