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A major cyberattack has hit Wirral University Teaching Hospital (WUTH) in the UK, causing a significant disruption to its operations. The attack, publicly disclosed on Monday, led to a system outage forcing the hospital to rely on paper-based methods for managing appointments and procedures. Many appointments and scheduled procedures have been postponed as a result of this incident, highlighting the vulnerability of healthcare systems to cyberattacks and the potential for serious disruption to patient care.

The incident prompted WUTH, which includes Arrowe Park Hospital, Clatterbridge Hospital, and Wirral Women and Children's Hospital, to implement its business continuity plans. Staff are now using manual processes to maintain essential services, while emergency services remain strained. The hospital has urged the public to only attend the Emergency Department for genuine emergencies. Further details regarding the nature of the attack remain undisclosed.

While the hospital is working closely with national cybersecurity services to restore normal operations, the incident underscores the urgent need for robust cybersecurity measures within the healthcare sector. The reliance on paper-based systems, a temporary solution, is causing delays and disruptions in patient care, demonstrating the far-reaching impact of such attacks. The ongoing situation emphasizes the critical importance of investing in and maintaining strong digital security infrastructure to protect patient data and ensure the continuous delivery of essential healthcare services.

ImgSrc: securityaffairs.com

References:

• @BleepingComputer - Mastodon post from @infosecnews regarding the cyberattack impacting Wirral University Teaching Hospital. - 26d
• Security Affairs - Security Affairs discusses the cyberattack that affected the UK's Wirral University Teaching Hospital, leading to appointment and procedure delays. - 26d
• Over Security - BleepingComputer reports on the cyberattack that caused systems outages at Wirral University Teaching Hospital. - 26d
• @BleepingComputer - Infosec.exchange shares the news of a cyberattack at the UK's Wirral University Teaching Hospital. - 26d
• @infosecnews.bsky.social - Social media post mentioning the cyberattack on Wirral University Teaching Hospital. - 25d
• Malware Analysis, News and Indicators - News about a cyberattack at a UK hospital that caused outpatient appointments to be cancelled. - 25d
• SCM feed for Security Strategy, Plan, Budget - Report on a cyberattack at a UK hospital that caused the postponement of procedures. - 25d
• @kim_harding - Mastodon post about a cyberattack impacting the UK’s Wirral University Teaching Hospital. - 25d
• @BleepingComputer - Post mentioning a cyberattack on UK’s Wirral University Teaching Hospital. - 25d
• @BleepingComputer - Infosec.exchange post reports on a cyberattack on UK’s Wirral University Teaching Hospital, leading to systems outage and postponed procedures. - 25d
• Malware Analysis, News and Indicators - Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Trust in the UK suffered a cyberattack that led to IT system outages, forcing staff to use manual processes and causing delays in patient services. - 23d
• www.theregister.com - Another report on the cyberattack - 23d

Classification:

• HashTags: cyberattack healthcare NHS
• Company: Wirral University Teaching Hospital
• Target: Wirral University Teaching Hospital
• Product: Hospital IT systems
• Feature: System Outage
• Type: Hack
• Severity: Major