London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 05, 2025

Frequency of hacker attacks on health institutions & vaccine research revealed

Frequency of hacker attacks on health institutions & vaccine research revealed

Organisations linked to the health sector and vaccines were among the main targets of hackers in the UK during a 12-month period that saw the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) handle 777 reports of cyber-attacks.
The data, covering the 12-month period between August 2020 and September 2021, saw the UK report a record number of incidents, 20% of which were targeted directly at the healthcare sector and vaccine research organisations.

The NCSC’s annual review flagged the “worrying growth” of criminals seeking to use ransomware software to extort organisations, with the agency declaring it “the most immediate cyber security threat to UK businesses.”

This type of attack locks individuals out of their computers until they pay a fee, often in bitcoin. In 2017, a ransomware attack brought the UK’s NHS to a halt, after a virus rapidly spread through hospitals and GP services, preventing medical staff from accessing patient data and providing treatment.

The report confirms remarks made in October by GCHQ’s Lindy Cameron, who told the Chatham House Cyber 2021 conference that state-backed criminal groups are seeking to use the pandemic to engage in cyber-attacks, targeting vaccine information and scamming individuals.

One successful response highlighted by the NCSC was a thwarted attack on the University of Oxford, which helped to develop the AstraZeneca vaccine, with the agency helping to prevent hackers from causing serious disruption to the UK’s Covid response.

Alongside the cyber-attacks reported to the NCSC, 5.9 million reports of malicious content were filed by the public, resulting in 53,000 scams and 96,500 URLs being removed from the internet. The NCSC, part of the UK’s GCHQ intelligence organisation, was established in 2016 to provide the country with a single point of contact for the government’s cyber security response to improve national defences and limit the risk of attacks.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
×