The INC Ransom extortion gang is threatening to release three terabytes of data allegedly stolen from Scotland's National Health Service (NHS).
The cybercriminals have demanded a ransom from the service and are threatening to leak important dataif it is not received. To prove their claims, they have published some screenshots with medical details.
The Scottish NHS is the country's public health system, which provides citizens with essential medical services (primary care, hospital care, dental care, pharmaceutical and long-term care).
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The INC Ransom gang emerged in July 2023 and targets both public and private sector organizations . It targets critical infrastructure, such as education, healthcare, government organizations, and large industries.
As early as March 15, reports emerged of a cybersecurity affecting National Health Service (NHS) Scotland services.
Now, the INC Ransom attackers have published several sample documents with sensitive information about doctors and patients.
Only one regional health board was affected
A Scottish Government spokesperson told BleepingComputer that the cyberattack only affects NHS Dumfries & Galloway, one of the regional health boards that make up NHS Scotland.
The spokesman added that the government is working with many entities, including the health board, Police Scotland and other agencies.
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Meanwhile, NHS Dumfries & Galloway has confirmed a clinical data breach affecting a small number of patients. The organisation said the breach was the result of a cyberattack that took place two weeks ago, which compromised its IT systems. The attackers gained unauthorised access to “a significant amount of data, including identifying information belonging to patients and staff”.
“We absolutely regret the release of confidential patient data as part of this criminal act,” said NHS Dumfries & Galloway Chief Executive Jeff Ace. “This information was released by hackers to demonstrate that they are in their possession.”
All patients affected by the INC Ransom data breach will be notified directly by the National Health Service (NHS) Scotland so they can take appropriate steps to protect themselves.
See also: Okta: Denies hacker claims of data leak
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This breach could affect NHS patients in a number of ways. The leak of personal patient data could lead to a breach of privacy. This could include sensitive information such as medical history, medication details and other personal data.
Furthermore, the threat of data disclosure can cause stress and anxiety in patients, which can have negative effects on their mental health and ability to address their healthcare needs.
Finally, the breach could undermine patient trust in the NHS, leading to reduced use of health services, which could have long-term public health implications.
Source: www.bleepingcomputer.com
