London (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Government plans to bolster cybersecurity defences against Russian and Chinese hackers following NHS cyberattacks. New rules aim to safeguard public services and tighten regulations for third-party contractors to prevent future breaches.
How is the government responding to recent cyberattacks?
New steps to stop Russian and Chinese cyber attacks are anticipated to be introduced by the Government following last month’s devastating NHS hack. Whitehall sources indicated that the King’s Speech on Wednesday will include a dedication to strengthening the regulations to prevent rogue actors from damaging public services.
Providers of central services, such as the NHS and transport networks, are already subject to a safety regime to reduce the risk of digital attacks. However, the rules for third-party contractors are currently less strict.
How did recent cyberattacks affect NHS services?
Last month, two NHS hospital trusts in London were hacked, inducing the postponement of more than 800 planned procedures and 700 outpatient appointments. The patients disrupted included those in need of cancer therapy and organ transplants. The hack was believed to be the work of Qilin, a Russian cybercriminal gang. It took place via a ransomware spell on computers run by Synnovis, which delivers pathology services to hospitals and GP surgeries in the capital.
What changes are expected in cybersecurity regulations?
The new Government is expected to command that all the providers of essential infrastructure comprehend and protect their supply chains from invasion. The measures may also include enhancing the management of data on cyber attacks to understand lessons from previous hacks.
A source at the Department of Health and Social Care stated: “It is painfully clear how helpless parts of the health service are to attack. The raids on King’s Guy’s and St Thomas’ caused huge chaos and uncertainties in treatment. These attackers saw a feeble link in the NHS supply line and ruthlessly exploited it.
“This Government isn’t going to stand by and let malign actors target our NHS and patients. Digital suppliers need to have the same protections as the health service itself. You’re only as strong as the weakest link in the chain.”
Data issued by the NHS in London revealed that nearly 100 cancer treatments had to be postponed in six days because of the technical problems stemming from the recent hack.
On Friday, The Telegraph conveyed that a 36-year-old mother of two was forced to delay reconstructive surgery following breast cancer. Hanna Groothuizen stated the delay meant she was forced to choose between having her cancer terminated but losing her breast, or delaying surgery altogether. Synnovis has apologised for the trouble caused and said it has performed with the NHS to minimise the impact on patients.