Daesh Affiliate Hacks NHS Websites, Shows Gruesome Images from Syria War
Local Editor
Hackers linked to Daesh [the Arabic acronym for ‘ISIS/ISIL' Takfiri group] carried out an attack on a series of UK's National Health Service [NHS] websites in a cyber-attack exposing serious flaws in security systems meant to protect sensitive information, The Independent learned.
Graphic, brutal images of violence from Syria's war were put up on the sites by a group based in North Africa which declared it was carrying out the electronic raid in retaliation for the West's aggression in the Middle East.
This is believed to be the first time that a Daesh-linked group has carried out a concerted attack on the NHS.
There was one instance of a health service site infected last year by an extremist hacker, but the new assault is being viewed by security agencies as much more serious and one which may pave the way for other similar strikes.
The six websites struck by the group called the Tunisian Fallaga Team three weeks ago were in the south-west of England and ranged from ones dealing with childcare to funding, with the two sites particularly severely damaged.
In the context, The Independent agreed not to give further details due to security considerations.
It is believed that patient data was vulnerable in the attacks, but initial checks do not indicate that any had been compromised. There is no suggestion patient safety was put at risk.
The hacking came in the wake of a Government warning that the NHS was facing serious risk of cyber-attacks, something which was "no longer the stuff of spy thrillers and action movies, but a clear and present threat".
Ben Gummer, Minister for the Cabinet Office, stressed that "large quantities of sensitive data" held by the NHS and the Government is being targeted by hackers.
The Tunisian group along with two other groups, Global ‘Islamic' Caliphate and Team System DZ, all connected to Daesh, are said to carry out coordinated operations.
As well as airlines and media companies, the groups had broken into the US Central Command's Twitter and YouTube accounts and published personal details of retired US military personnel.
Source: The Independent, Edited by website team
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