The NHS Ransomware Attack & Data Privacy in the Era of Digital Health – Part One

The data explosion in healthcare through digital health networks goes hand in hand with concerns of data privacy and security. The recent WannaCry ransomware attack impaired the smooth operation of several NHS hospitals in the UK; and led to burning questions about the state of IT security in healthcare on the individual or systemic level, and what the future of health data security should look like. Unprecedented cyberattack of scale on the NHS On 12 May 2017, the WannaCry ransomware hit 61 NHS trusts and hospitals in the UK in what is known today as one of the most serious cyberattacks on any healthcare network before. Operations and clinic appointments had to be cancelled; and there were still patients being diverted from certain accident and emergency departments one week after the incident. Hospitals had lost the use of landlines and internet connections, and several hospitals in the U.K confirmed receiving demands for ransomware payments in bitcoin, with deadlines for compliance. It immediately channeled the attention towards the fact how vulnerable healthcare systems against cyberattacks are; and how acute is the need for the protection of precious patient data. However, the cyberattack of scale should have not come as a surprise. In March 2016, WIRED published an article about the reasons why hospitals are the best target for ransomware. They explained how the Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in Los Angeles was attacked similarly a month earlier. The medical faci...
Source: The Medical Futurist - Category: Information Technology Authors: Tags: Bioethics Future of Medicine big data cybercrime cybersecurity data privacy data security digital digital health gc4 health data healthcare data ransomware technology wannacry Source Type: blogs