World cyberattack cripples UK hospitals, demands ransoms
LONDON — Britain’s health service was hit Friday by a huge international cyberattack that froze computers at hospitals across the country — an attack that shut down wards, closed emergency rooms and brought medical treatments to a screeching halt.
Hospitals in areas across Britain found themselves without access to their computers or phone systems. Many cancelled all routine procedures and asked patients not to come to the hospitals unless it was an emergency. Some chemotherapy patients were even sent home because their records could not be accessed.
Most of the affected hospitals were in England, but several facilities in Scotland also reported being hit. Doctors’ practices and pharmacies reported similar problems.
As similar widespread ransomware attacks were reported in Spain, Romania and elsewhere, experts warned that online extortion attempts by hackers are a growing menace. Hospitals, with their often outdated IT systems and trove of confidential patient data, are a particularly tempting target.