MORE than one third of NHS trusts have been victims of ransomware attacks in the past 18 months but bosses did little to stop further attacks, it has emerged.

New figures show that bosses were long aware of the danger hackers posed in attacking its system - knowing it would lead to chaos in wards and patients having appointments cancelled as seen on Friday.

3 Hospitals were plunged into chaos on Friday after a hack attack encrypted information on many NHS hospitals, forcing doctors to cancel surgeries and appointments Credit: PA:Press Association

IT experts have revealed to The Sun Online how over the last year and a half, the NHS has been under relentless attack by hackers - raising questions as to why more was not done to prevent last week's devastating attack in advance.

The figures show...

In November 2016, the Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust had to take three hospitals offline because of a Globez ransomware attack

Earlier this year, five East London hospitals under the Barts Health NHS Trust were infected with malware

88 out of the 260 NHS trusts across England, Scotland, and Wales have been victims of ransomware attacks over the last 18-months

The data was compiled in March in a report entitled How to Crush the Health Sector's Ransomware Pandemic by the cyber security think tank Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology.

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James Scott, a senior fellow at the institute, told The Sun Online: "They knew they were a target.

"After the first half of 2016, ransomware attacks became so rampant and common that even minimally funded health sector organisations were backing up their data in real time and hiring experts to advise them on how to enlist a layered defence strategy with the basics such as multi-factor authentication, user behaviour analytics, data encryption, cyber hygiene training for staff, enlistment of a threat hunting service and machine learning base artificial intelligence for ransomware and malware detection.

"These are the basics and to my knowledge, the NHS does not have this."

He added that he believes the attack was carried out by expert criminals.

"This ransomware attack seems like it was a sophisticated cyber criminal gang looking to distract with ransomware in order to gain access to their data," he said.

"This attack was bound to get a lot of attention, therefore, I think there had to be a bigger meaning behind this attack."

3 This message became visible on many NHS computer screens, demanding a Bitcoin payment to return the files Credit: PA:Press Association

His report warned that there was "a compounding and unravelling chaos that is perpetually in motion in the Dark Web's toxic underbelly".

It adds: "Forums and marketplaces where exploit kits, ransomware, and other malware are bartered allow for anyone, for any reason, to liberate and unleash one’s sinister urge upon millions of unsuspecting cyber hygienically apathetic organisations and citizens.

"Code and technology are the new munitions; email and social media are the new weaponized delivery systems.

3 A worrying report said that "code and technology are the new munitions" which are being used by hackers to attack major companies and organisations Credit: Getty Images

"Ransomware, weaponized encryption, allows even the most novice of adversaries to wreak havoc and imprison the data of those people and organisations who have yet to learn the cardinal rule of techno-surviving in this digital age, 'Think before you click'."

The hack attack did not just target the NHS, but 99 countries around the world - with Spain and Russia understood to have been hit the hardest.

How hackers use ransomware to get rich The biggest cyber attack in the history of the NHS caused “significant problems” with IT systems and telephone networks across NHS trusts in England and Scotland on Friday. Hackers encrypted files demanding NHS staff pay ransoms of $300 (£233) per computer via the digital currency service Bitcoin to regain access. They warned the sum would be doubled if it was not paid within three days. Criminal gangs have been known to send out thousands of these emails, called phishing scams, in the hope that just a few people will click on them. That’s all it takes to spread the virus. Ransomware notices come with a link where the victim can deposit bitcoin. In the case of the NHS, the virus could block access to patient data and operation schedules. In the wake of the problem many hospitals and doctors surgeries had no choice but to cancel routine appointments and divert ambulances to neighbouring unaffected hospitals.

NHS Digital declined to comment on the report.

However a statement on last week's attack read: "Our Cyber Security team continues to work around the clock alongside the National Cyber Security Centre, to support NHS organisations that have reported any issues related to this cyber-attack.

"In addition to providing 24/7 specialist support, we have issued a number of targeted bulletins to further support, guide and reassure NHS staff with cyber-security responsibilities in their organisations.

"NHS Digital is continuing to expand the range of data security services it offers in support of NHS organisations; helping them to take appropriate cyber security measures and respond effectively and safely to cyber security threats.

"We continue to alert NHS organisations to known cyber security threats and advise them of appropriate steps to take to minimise these risks, such as in the case of this issue."

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