A Russian group of cyber criminals known as Qilin are thought to be behind a cyber attack that impacted major London hospitals, according to an expert. Pathology services provider Synnovis, a partnership between SynLab UK & Ireland , Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, was targeted on Monday, June 3. The ransomware attack has led to hospitals cancelling operations and tests and being unable to carry out blood transfusions.
But who are Qilin? Qilin is understood to be a Russian cyber gang that runs a ransomware-as-a-service model. They operate using websites on the dark web, according to Ciaran Martin, the former chief executive of the National Cyber Security Centre. He said the group has a two-year history of attacking organisations across the world.
What is ransomware? Ransomware is a type of malware. In some cases, hackers use it to bring down systems and prevent users from accessing their devices or the data stored on them, usually by encrypting it. They will then demand money to decrypt the files.
However, Mr Martin claims Qilin’s attack on Synnovis is “more serious” as it has led to systems not working. He added that it is “really one of the more serious that we’ve seen in this country”. What other attacks is Qilin thought to be behind? According to Mr Martin, Qilin has previously targeted publishing and social enterprise group the Big Issue Group.
Reports by Computer Weekly in March suggest the ha.
