Hackers Claim Visa Data Breach of 171,000 Health Workers Sparks Police Inquiry
A police investigation is underway after hackers claimed to have stolen data of 171,000 UK healthcare workers, raising serious concerns.
UK, Healthcare, Data Breach, Hackers, Home Office, NHS
London: So, there’s this big fuss going on because hackers say they’ve stolen personal info of 171,000 healthcare workers in the UK. Crazy, right? The police are now looking into it.
Apparently, a hacker posted on a forum claiming they broke into a Home Office database. They’re saying they’ve got access to passports, work permits, and even bank statements of these workers. Yikes!
The Home Office has confirmed they’re investigating this situation. They mentioned there was an incident affecting data on a sponsor organization’s system. Sounds serious!
Now, the NHS really depends on migrant workers, and they sponsor visas for them. So, this breach is a big deal for everyone involved.
A spokesperson from the Home Office said they can’t say much since it’s an active police investigation. But it’s clear that this has raised a lot of alarms.
Caroline Waterfield from NHS Employers expressed her worries too. She said this breach could be causing a lot of anxiety for healthcare staff who have their details on that system. It’s crucial to get to the bottom of this quickly.
According to reports, the hacker hinted that they might still have ongoing access to the database. That’s pretty unsettling, right?
Security minister Dan Jarvis mentioned that cyber criminals have been raking in millions from public bodies, including the NHS. It’s a huge issue, and the government is trying to figure out how to tackle it.
They’re even considering banning public sector bodies from paying hackers. It’s about time something was done!
Mr. Jarvis also pointed out that they don’t really know how much has been paid out because there’s no requirement to report these payments. That’s a bit concerning, don’t you think?
Hackers have been targeting various organizations lately, including a key supplier for London hospitals. Just last year, two hospital trusts had to cancel non-emergency operations due to a cyberattack.
And in 2023, a ransomware attack affected patient data for over a million people across 200 hospitals. It’s a wild world out there!