NHS hospitals in England have today been hit by a large-scale cyber attack.

At the time of writing the ransomware attack is reported to have hit IT systems of 16 NHS organisations across the country.  A pop-up message has simultaneously appeared on screens across the network demanding a ransom in exchange for access to the PCs.

Patient data has been encrypted by a ransomware virus believed to be carried out by the malware variant WannaCry. The attack has caused many NHS trusts to divert emergency patients and postpone all routine and non-urgent activity.

NHS Digital said the large-scale cyber attack was not “specifically targeted at the NHS” and was affecting other organisations.

WannaCry is arriving via emails with an invoice, job offer or other authentic looking document attached. As soon as the attachment is clicked, the infection starts.

Ransomware is one of the world’s biggest growing cyber threats. Today’s attack highlights the indiscriminate nature of cyber crime and how every organisation is vulnerable.

Hopefully, the NHS has adequate backup in place to enable a full and swift recovery from the large-scale cyber attack.

To protect your business from a ransomware attack:

• Install appropriate security software
• Train your staff to be alert to suspicious emails and know how to deal with them
• Ensure you have a failsafe backup solution in place

Cyber crime is a real threat which no business can afford to ignore. If you’d like any guidance on how to adequately protect your business please call us on 01392 207194 or email cybersecurity@bluegrass-group.com.