Cybersecurity Expert Warns NHS Still Vulnerable After Major Ransomware Attack

A leading cybersecurity expert has warned that the NHS remains at risk of further cyber-attacks unless it updates its computer systems. This stark warning follows a significant ransomware attack that severely disrupted healthcare services across London. 

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.”

NHS England announced it was increasing its cybersecurity resilience and had invested $338 million over the past seven years to address the issue. 

However, Prof Martin’s warnings suggest more urgent action is necessary.

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report highlighted the NHS’s ageing IT infrastructure, revealing that doctors waste 13.5 million hours annually due to outdated systems – equivalent to 8,000 full-time medics’ time. 

 The cyber-attack on 3 June, described by Prof Martin as one of the most serious in British history, targeted Synnovis, a pathology testing organisation. This severely affected services at Guy’s, St Thomas’, King’s College, and Evelina London Children’s Hospitals. 

NHS England declared it a regional incident, resulting in 4,913 outpatient appointments and 1,391 operations being postponed, alongside major data security concerns.

The Russian-based hacking group Qi

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