NHS England hit by cyber attack

Information just coming in says NHS trusts and hospitals across England have been hit by hackers leading to computers been shut down and phone lines been cut off today in a massive cyber attack.


According to several staffs,pop-up messages are appearing on computer screens reading,'PC is under control,you must pay a ransom to stop all files being deleted'.In a screenshot that's circulating online,the hackers are demanding for £415,000 in bitcoins,approximately 300 bitcoins.

The screenshot also shows a count down clock with a deadline of Friday next week.Cyber security experts say the entire attack is believed to be a 'ransomeware' cyber attack and the hackers used a Malware known as 'Wanna Decryptor'.

Services that are said to be affected includes,archiving system for x-rays,pathology test results,phone and bleep systems and patient admin systems.

In a statement,NHS Digital said:

''NHS Digital is working closely with the National Cyber Security Center,the Department of Health and NHS England to support affected organizations and ensure patient safety is protected.

''Our focus is on supporting organizations to manage the incident swiftly and decisively,but we will continue to communicate with NHS colleagues and will share more information as it becomes available.''