Cyber Attacks Hit UK Health System
The Facts
A cyber attack has disrupted medical services at several UK National Health Service (NHS) hospitals, including Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Trust as well as King's College Hospital Trust.
The attack, which targeted the pathology services provider Synnovis, also forced delayed operations at Royal Brompton and the Evelina London Children’s Hospital. While some medical procedures were canceled, others were directed to different hospitals.
The Spin
Narrative A
Despite its acclaimed implementation of cybersecurity, SYNLAB has now faced multiple cyber attacks just this year. With healthcare data hacks costing an average of over $10M, the industry must face the reality that more must be done. Whether they like it or not, vital medical service providers are at the forefront of this fight and they must take action accordingly.
Narrative B
While protecting patients at all costs is of the utmost importance, it should also be noted that paying ransom to hackers may not be the best immediate solution. For companies to make meaningful change, they must focus on both cybersecurity and not giving these criminals what they want. Hackers must be shown that disrupting the medical industry is not profitable.
