NHS bosses and the government are facing questions over why hospitals had been left vulnerable to the global cyber attack that crippled services on Friday.

The health service faces a weekend of chaos after hackers demanding a ransom infiltrated the health service’s antiquated computer system.

Operations and appointments were cancelled and ambulances diverted as up to 40 hospital trusts became infected by a “ransomware” attack demanding payment to regain access to vital medical records.

Doctors warned that the infiltration – the largest cyber attack in NHS history – could cost lives.

Medics described how computer screens were “wiped out one by one” by the attack, which spread to companies and institutions worldwide, including international shipper FedEx Corp in the US, and Germany's rail operator.

Researchers with security software maker Avast said they had observed 57,000 infections in 99 countries with Russia, Ukraine and Taiwan the top targets.

Mikko Hypponen, chief research officer at the Helsinki-based cybersecurity company F-Secure, called the attack "the biggest ransomware outbreak in history".

The NHS said there was no evidence that patients’ medical records had been accessed, but it was unable to say whether the hackers – who are threatening to delete information unless payment is received within a week – had the ability to destroy such records.

Experts at GCHQ’s national cyber security centre were helping NHS teams fight the attack. The US Department of Homeland Security said late on Friday that it was aware of reports of the ransomware, was sharing information with domestic and foreign partners and was ready to lend technical support.

The ransomware attack has affected people and businesses across the world

The ransomware attack has affected people and businesses across the world Credit: Malware Tec

The attack has been declared a major incident, and has spread to Scotland, where crisis meetings were also being held last night.

A computer hacking group known as Shadow Brokers was at least partly responsible. It is claimed the group, which has links to Russia, stole US National Security Agency cyber tools designed to access Microsoft Windows systems, then dumped the technology on a publicly-accessible website where online criminals could access it – possibly in retaliation for America’s attack on Syria.

Microsoft had provided free software to protect computers in March, raising questions about why the NHS was still vulnerable. Last night the technology giant said it was pushing out automatic Windows updates to defend clients from WannaCry.

Cyber experts said the health service appeared susceptible to attack because many trusts were using obsolete systems, while others have failed to apply recent security updates which would have protected them.

This week it was suggested that 90 per cent of NHS trusts in the UK were using Windows XP – a 16-year-old operating system. Security experts said that computers using operating software introduced before 2007 were particularly vulnerable, leaving many NHS systems at risk.

About | Ransomware

Others, using newer systems, may have failed to apply recent security updates, which would have protected them, experts said.

Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said the attack was "terrible news and a real worry for patients" and urged the Government to be "clear about what's happened".

Story continues

Ross Anderson, professor of security engineering at Cambridge University's computer lab, said the incident is the "sort of thing for which the secretary of state should get roasted in Parliament.

"If large numbers of NHS organisations failed to act on a critical notice from Microsoft two months ago, then whose fault is that?" Mr Anderson told The Guardian.

May: 'This was international attack'

The hack is thought to be part of a wider attack, which has affected the Spanish telecoms giant Telefonica, which also owns 02, where the same message was presented.

The ransomware attack was orchestrated using malware called Wanna Decryptor, also known as WannaCry, which demands each user affected pay $300 (£232) in the internet currency Bitcoin, to have files restored. Thousands of NHS computers have been affected so the ransom could potentially cost taxpayers millions.

The attack was described by Theresa May as “intentional”.

The Prime Minister said: “We are aware that a number of NHS organisations have reported that they have suffered from a ransomware attack. This is not targeted at the NHS, it’s an international attack and a number of countries and organisations have been affected.

“The National Cyber Security Centre is working closely with NHS digital to ensure that they support the organisations concerned and that they protect patient safety. And, we are not aware of any evidence that patient data has been compromised.”

Intelligence sources said the attack appeared to have been carried out by criminals rather than a hostile state and the ransomware had rapidly spread through companies and organisations in Europe and the Middle East. Russia’s interior ministry said last night it had come under cyber attack.

Patients have operations cancelled

In the UK the only affected organisation appeared to be the NHS.

Patients awaiting heart surgery were among those who had operations cancelled, with doctors telling how staff were frantically ordering computers to be shut down. New parents were left stuck on wards with their newborns as administrative systems failed.

Doctors at dozens of trusts resorted to pen and paper, with no access to medical records that could alert them to medical histories or allergies. Handwritten signs in the entrance of the Royal London’s A&E read: “The emergency department has no IT facilities, there are significant delays occurring.”

At a glance | High profile hacks

NHS trusts are supposed to regularly back up their files.

But yesterday doctors and nurses were left treating patients without any access to their medical histories, with lost access to X-rays, blood tests and details such as allergies to medication.

It raises the possibility that recent changes to medical records – such as a cancer diagnosis, or the results of a blood test – could be lost, if hackers delete the files.

Hacking tool stolen from NSA

The mysterious Shadow Brokers claimed last month it had stolen a “cyber weapon” from the NSA that gives unprecedented access to all computers using Microsoft Windows. The hacking tool had been developed by the NSA, to gain access to computers used by terrorists and enemy states.

A screen shot circulated by medical staff showed that users were alerted to their system being compromised by a flashing warning on screen which reads: “What happened to my computer?” and states that many documents, photos, videos and databases and other files are no longer accessible.

Warning “nobody can recover your files without our decryption service” it then demands payments of $300 – stating that the price will be doubled in three days.

An NHS spokesman said: “At this stage we do not have any evidence that patient data has been accessed.”

Colchester A&E was among several yesterday urging the public to stay away, unless in the most severe need tweeting: “Our A&E is open for critical or life-threatening situations requiring medical attention, such as loss of consciousness, heavy blood loss.”

A 'miracle if no one comes to harm'

At Lister Hospital in Stevenage, the telephone and computer system was fully disabled in an attempt to fend off the attack, with all non-urgent appointments and operations cancelled and patients told to keep away from A&E if at all possible.

The loss of computer systems meant doctors and nurses lost access to X-rays, blood test results and booking systems, rendering a normal day’s work impossible.

A worker at Colchester General Hospital described how her office’s computers were “wiped out, one by one”.

Dominic Marley, a hospital doctor in the Manchester area, said it would be a “miracle if no one comes to harm”.

Barts Health NHS Trust, which runs The Royal London, St Bartholomew’s, Whipps Cross and Newham hospitals in London, said it had implemented its major incident plan to cope with disruption.

Anthony Brett was about to have a stent put in his liver to treat his cancer when he was told the procedure could not happen. The 50-year-old from Bow, east London, said: “To do it to the NHS that does so much good for people, it’s just disgusting. They should be hung, drawn and quartered.”

6:39AM

Taiwan on alert

Taiwan has been put on high alert after it was reportedly one of the top targets of the cyber attack that rocked the world on Friday, writes Nicola Smith.

While government departments and hospital systems had so far been spared the chaos that struck Britain's NHS, there were fears the full impact of the attack may only emerge after the weekend.

Ross Feingold, a Taiwan-based political analyst who advises on Taiwan and Hong Kong political affairs, warned that full picture may not be known until Monday morning when officials returned to work.

Read the full article here.

View photos Taiwan is among the world’s biggest targets for ransomware attacks Credit: EPA More

4:44AM

Teams 'working round the clock'

Ciaran Martin, the body's chief executive, said teams were "working round the clock" with UK and international partners and with private sector experts to lead the response.

"We are very aware that attacks on critical services such as the NHS have a massive impact on individuals and their families, and we are doing everything in our power to help them restore these vital services."

The attack has left hospitals and GP surgeries with a backlog of postponed appointments to contend with, including operations, once the crisis is brought under control.

3:58AM

'They will try again'

The attack was apparently halted in the afternoon in the UK when a researcher took control of an Internet domain that acted as a kill switch for the worm's propagation, according to Ars Technica.

The researcher, who uses the Twitter name @MalwareTechBlog, said:

"I will confess that I was unaware registering the domain would stop the malware until after I registered it, so initially it was accidental. So long as the domain isn't revoked, this particular strain will no longer cause harm, but patch your systems ASAP as they will try again."

It's very important everyone understands that all they need to do is change some code and start again. Patch your systems now! https://t.co/L4GIPLGKEs — MalwareTech (@MalwareTechBlog) May 13, 2017

Read the full article here.

2:47AM

US offers help to tackle crisis

The US Department of Homeland Security has said it is aware of reports of the ransomware. It says it is sharing information with domestic and foreign partners and was ready to lend technical support.

The global cyber attack renewed concerns about whether the NSA and other countries' intelligence services too often hoard software vulnerabilities for offensive purposes, rather than quickly alerting technology companies to such flaws.

Patrick Toomey, a staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union, said in a statement:

"These attacks underscore the fact that vulnerabilities will be exploited not just by our security agencies, but by hackers and criminals around the world."

If NSA builds a weapon to attack Windows XP—which Microsoft refuses to patches—and it falls into enemy hands, should NSA write a patch? https://t.co/TUTtmc2aU9 — Edward Snowden (@Snowden) May 12, 2017

12:51AM

Is this how the spread of the virus was halted?

God damn. Looks like @MalwareTechBlog stopped the spread of this global ransomware attack https://t.co/pgDiTS9oTRpic.twitter.com/YyFKt7cQwy — Joseph Cox (@josephfcox) May 12, 2017

12:03AM

Germany's Deutsche Bahn railways 'affected by virus'

Germany's main train operator Deutsche Bahn was attacked by ransomware based on leaked NSA tools. pic.twitter.com/hP66QZT1cQ — Pamela Moore (@Pamela_Moore13) May 12, 2017

11:32PM

Chief Executive of NHS Providers speaks out on cyber attack

Chris Hopson, Chief Executive of NHS Providers, says trusts are working to limit the impact of the cyber attack:

11:21PM

Edward Snowden: Are any other vulnerabilities in software?

In light of today's attack, Congress needs to be asking @NSAgov if it knows of any other vulnerabilities in software used in our hospitals. — Edward Snowden (@Snowden) May 12, 2017

10:12PM

How to protect yourself from ransomware

Back up your files

The greatest damage people suffer from a ransomware attack is the loss of files, including pictures and documents.

The best protection against ransomware is to back up all of the information and files on your devices in a completely separate system. A good place to do this is on an external hard drive that isn't connected to the internet. This means that if you suffer an attack you won't lost any information to the hackers.

Businesses often save copies of their data to external servers that won't be affected if their main network is attacked.

Be suspicious of emails, websites and apps

For ransomware to work hackers need to download malicious software onto a victims computer. This is then used to launch the attack and encrypt files.

The most common ways for the software to be installed on a victim's device is through phishing emails, malicious adverts on websites, and questionable apps and programs.

People should always exercise caution when opening unsolicited emails or visiting websites they are unfamiliar with. Never download an app that hasn't been verified by an official store, and read reviews before installing programs.

Read our full guide.

9:30PM

FedEx reports malware interference in global cyberattack

FedEx has said it is experiencing issues with some of its Microsoft Corp Windows systems.

"Like many other companies, FedEx is experiencing interference with some of our Windows-based systems caused by malware," a spokeswoman said in a statement. "We are implementing remediation steps as quickly as possible."

9:12PM

'Emergency care is operating as normal,' says NHS London Director

The head of the NHS in London, Dr Anne Rainsberry, says patients who are seriously ill should go to accident and emergency as usual, despite a huge cyber attack on hospitals.

9:07PM

Russia's Interior Ministry targeted

Russia's Interior Ministry says it has come under cyberattack.

Two security companies tell AP that more than 70 countries have been affected by the cyberattack, with Russia the hardest hit.

Russian police computers were also affected by the attack.

8:57PM

We didn't turn anyone away

Rozina Sabur reports:

One nurse, who did not want to be named, said: "I work in one of the assessment clinics, we had to write everything by paper but it was ok, in our section we didn't turn anyone away". Another, a stroke specialist nurse, said: "We've been directing patients to Luton Hospital all day where they have a specialist stroke department. It started around 11:30/12 so I'd seen 4-5 patients before that." Patients could be seen leaving the hospital with handwritten medical notes scrawled on pieces of paper. Some described how their relatives had been told to attend their nearest alternative hospitals.

8:52PM

NHS Digital's head of security: 'health has never paid a ransom'

NHS Digital's head of security Dan Taylor the NHS "must ensure it has good cyber crime hygiene".

In a hand-washing analogy, he added: "Think of this as washing your hands before going on to a ward to prevent infection, where cyber hygiene prevents digital viruses such as ransomware."

Describing ransomware as a situation where data is "digitally locked" and a ransom is asked for for the unlocking key, Mr Taylor said "health has never paid a ransom".

He added: "Instead, organisations have restored systems from back-ups after clearing the infection. But as we have seen recently, this can still lead to days of cancellations to patient facing services."

8:43PM

Hospital conditions described as 'primitive'

Rozina Sabur reports:

Two general surgery ward nurse described the conditions today as "primitive". One said: "the usual notes that we do on the computer we had to do by hand. It's gone back to primitive times." The other described the rudimentary systems that the hospital pharmacy have been reduced to using. "I observed the pharmacy, instead they of the usual computer forms they had to write the medication name and dosage by hand. "We had to use forms from ten years ago because we couldn't use them online. We then had to call people to bring the medicine requests because when we do it online it registers automatically." He said the main things affected were laboratory forms and pharmacy forms.

8:38PM

Technology writer Kate Bevan explains how ransomware works

8:26PM

Hacking attacks reported in Romania and Russia

Romania

Romania's intelligence service says it has intercepted an attempted cyberattack on a government institution which it said likely came from cybercriminal group APT28 also known as Fancy Bear.

Cyberint, subordinated to the Romanian Intelligence Service, said on Friday it thwarted a cyberattack to a government institution, without saying when it occurred, following notification from NATO and the Romanian foreign intelligence agency.

Russia

A top Russian mobile operator says it has come under cyberattacks that appeared similar to those that have crippled some U.K. hospitals.

Pyotr Lidov, a spokesman for Megafon, said Friday's attacks froze computers in company's offices across Russia. He said that mobile communications haven't been affected. Lidov said that the attack involved demands of payment of $300 worth to free up the system.

He added that the company managed to restore the work of its call center but closed most of its offices for the day.

Some Russian media also have reported cyberattacks on the Interior Ministry and the Investigative Committee. The committee, the nation's top investigative agency, has rejected the claim.

8:22PM

NHS 'will increasingly fall victim to these kinds of attacks'

Jamie Moles, Principal Security Consultant at Lastline said:

While security remains a low priority for NHS management, they will increasingly fall victim to these kinds of attacks, which will cause serious problems as it results in the cancellation of treatments whilst the affected systems are investigated and cleaned up. The National Health Service is one of the largest organisations in the United Kingdom. With an annual budget in the region of £116 billion, it is a massive target for cyber-attacks and currently, it’s a poorly defended target. There are a number of trusts in deficit and spending on the NHS has dropped in real terms since the recession. Priorities for all NHS trusts are unsurprisingly targeted at medical needs over and above admin and operational needs, but of course this includes IT Security. Interestingly, the NHS takes a very strict and sanitary approach to dealing with these attacks, shutting down almost all of its IT capabilities while it triages and treats the problem. Why would we expect any different from a medical organization? Moving forward if we are to prevent these attacks causing delays to treatment and potentially deaths, NHS trusts are going to have to invest in technology to deal with cyber-threats. There are plenty of good technologies available to assist in this issue and they can be scaled effectively and cost efficiently to cope with massive organisations like the NHS.

8:21PM

Former MI6 director: ransomware attacks are 'increasingly common'

Nigel Inkster, Director of transnational threats and political risk at the International Institute for Strategic Studies and former MI6 Director for operations and intelligence, says ransomware attacks like the one inflicted on the NHS today have become 'increasingly common'.

7:58PM

Extremely Worrying

Relatives of NHS patients speak about their fears.

Relatives of a patient affected by NHS cyber attack say it is 'extremely worrying as he is seriously ill' #NHScyberattackpic.twitter.com/tjJejPvM7a — Sky News (@SkyNews) May 12, 2017

7:46PM

Theresa May reacts

The Prime Minister took a break from the election campaign trail to respond to the truly massive global ransomware attack which has done so much damage to the NHS.

7:34PM

Scenes of desolation

The main reception at Blackpool Victoria Hospital lies abandoned after the ransomware attack hamstrung the operation of the trust.

View photos Blackpool Victoria Hospital Credit: Warren Smith/Telegraph More

7:24PM

Theresa May: NHS not the target

Theresa May said the Government is not aware of any evidence that patient records have been compromised in the massive cyber attack on the NHS.

The Prime Minister said the ransomware hit was "not targeted" at the health service but was part of a wider assault on organisations across a number of countries.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is working to support the NHS. She said:

We are aware that a number of NHS organisations have reported that they have suffered from a ransomware attack. This is not targeted at the NHS, it's an international attack and a number of countries and organisations have been affected. The National Cyber Security Centre is working closely with NHS digital to ensure that they support the organisations concerned and that they protect patient safety. And, we are not aware of any evidence that patient data has been compromised. Of course it is important that we have set up the National Cyber Security Centre and they are able to work with the NHS organisations concerned and to ensure that they are supported and patient safety is protected.

7:20PM

The NHS toll: an update

The following hospital trusts have confirmed they have been attacked by the malware:

George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust (Nuneaten)

Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals

James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (Great Yarmouth)

Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust

Latest news from GEH Update: Suspected cyber attack at GEH - We are currently dealing with a suspected cyber at... https://t.co/BZ95rLwmI8 — George Eliot NHS (@GEHNHSnews) May 12, 2017

7:07PM

The human cost

Anthony Brett turned up to St Bartholomew's Hospital in London today for an operation on his liver, but was turned away due to the chaos.

A spokesman for the trust said:

We are very sorry that we have to cancel routine appointments, and would ask members of the public to use other NHS services wherever possible

View photos Liver patient Anthony Brett is turned away from a London hospital Credit: Paul Grover/Telegraph More

6:51PM

World-wide reach...it makes you WannaCry

This map gives a snapshot of the sheer breadth of this ransomware attack.

Although the NHS has been badly affected, it shows the health service wasn't the only target.

View photos The reach of the WannaCry attack Credit: @Malware Tec More

6:42PM

FedEx the latest victim

US multinational courier service FedEx appears to have been hit hard, according to an online security journalist.

Employees have reportedly been instructed to switch off all non-essential Windows systems.

FLASH: FedEx USA employees instructed to turn off all non-critical Windows systems on network after WCry compromise starts in UK offices — ZeroTayExploit (@SwiftOnSecurity) May 12, 2017

6:34PM

Stay away from 'Clinical Results'

This tweet from East Kent Hospitals appears to suggest that the ransomware infiltrated their IT systems in emails with 'Clinical Results' in the subject

Trust staff: we are aware of the national cyber attack - DO NOT open any emails that have “Clinical Results” in the title or similar. — East Kent Hospitals (@EKHUFT) May 12, 2017

6:25PM

Five more trusts confirmed

Five more hospital trusts have confirmed they have been attacked, in addition to the list of 18 we brought you earlier. They are:

Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Burton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Birmingham Community Healthcare Trust

Aintree University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

6:21PM

Spanish companies hit hard

Major Spanish companies have been hit by a cyber attack bearing striking similarities with the onslaught against that has crippled the NHS, according to Madrid journalist James Babcock.

Firms such as Telefónica, Spain’s leading telecoms company, were targeted by malware around midday, causing operators’ computer screens to turn blue.

Access to files became impossible and a demand for a ransom to be paid in bitcoins flashed up on screens at Telefónica’s headquarters in northern Madrid.

Spain’s National Cryptology Centre (CCN), part of the country’s secret security services, conformed in a press release that a “massive ransomware attack affecting Windows systems” had affected “a large number of organisations”.

6:15PM

Back to the Stone Age

A pharmacist in Yorkshire says it's back to paper notes and no patient histories

All shut down in Yorkshire-even in GP practice. Back to handwriting notes while seeing patients without full histories! #nhscyberattack — Chris Maguire (@chris_magz) May 12, 2017

6:07PM

Spreading worldwide

As well as the NHS, the ransomware had struck telecoms companies, and electric utilities companies.

Thousands of dollars was already rolling into Internet accounts set up to handle the ransom payments.

Adam Meyers, from cyber security firm CrowdStrike advised against paying.

We advise people not to pay, because if people do pay, it emboldens these criminal actors. Instead organisations were encouraged to make sure their data was backed up and copies were kept off networks. Employees had to be educated about which sort of emails to beware of and the latest patches and security updates installed.

6:01PM

WannaCry: part of a wider attack of

The hack on the NHS appeared to be a part of a wider attack of WannaCry ransomware which is spreading rapidly across Europe, security experts have told the Telegraph.

Adam Meyers, vice president of intelligence at the cyber security firm CrowdStrike said it was being spread by people clicking on emails infected with fake invoices and job adverts.

Mr Meyers said the ransomware appeared to be relatively new and it was unclear who was behind it.

5:53PM

Hacking the NHS 'is easy'

The Telegraph's Jamie Bartlett explains how today's strike is a classic example of a ransomware attack.

He says that the online purchase of ransomware is one of the fastest growing trades on the internet.

Insiders reckon the trade is worth millions of dollars a year. Individual attacks are for sale on the dark net for as little as $39.

5:42PM

Like something out of the movies

One Twitter posts a conversation between hospital staff. One said:

We got a message saying your computers are now under their control and pay certain amount of money.

Why would you cyber attack a hospital and hold it for ransom? The state of the world �� pic.twitter.com/e6h6yNrBBB — If.ra (@asystoly) May 12, 2017

5:37PM

Mother and son turned away

The real-world impacts of today's massive cyber attack on the NHS are beginning to filter through.

5:30PM

No guarantee of recovery

Cyber crime experts Databarracks say victims of ransomware attacks have got two options:

You can either recover the information from a previous backup or pay the ransom. However, even if you pay the ransom, there is no guarantee that you will actually get your data back, so the only way to stay fully protected is to have historic copies of your data. When recovering from ransomware, your two aims are to minimise the amount of data loss and to minimise the amount of IT downtime.

5:24PM

Critical or life-threatening only

The latest tweets from Colchester Hospital make grim reading..

Our A&E is open for critical or life-threatening situations requiring medical attention, such as loss of consciousness, heavy blood loss... — Colchester Hospitals (@ColchesterNHSFT) May 12, 2017

2/... suspected broken bones, persistent chest pain, difficulty breathing, overdoses, signs of a stroke, ingestion or poisoning. — Colchester Hospitals (@ColchesterNHSFT) May 12, 2017

5:21PM

"One by one, the screens were locking down”

A shocked worker at Colchester General Hospital described how her office’s computers were “wiped out, one by one”.

She said the effects of a hack on modern NHS hospitals could be 'catastrophic'.

My computer locked at about 3pm and I couldn’t get anything to work. Then my colleague sat next to me said her computer was down. It swept through the office and everyone was effected and didn’t know what was going on. One by one the computers were wiped out. Nothing was working and switching them off and on did not solve the problems.

5:17PM

Not just a British problem?

A Milan-based Twitter user has Tweeted a picture of what appears to be a similar ransomware message at what is described as a university.

A ransomware spreading in the lab at the university pic.twitter.com/8dROVXXkQv — １２Ｂ (@dodicin) May 12, 2017

5:08PM

'Double in three days' - the demand

A screen shot circulated by medical staff shows a warning flashing on screen which reads:

“What happened to my computer?” and states that many documents, photos, vidos and databases and other files are no longer accessible.

Warning “nobody can recover your files without our decryption service” it then demands payments of $300 dollars - stating that the price will be doubled in three days.

View photos Doctors have seen this message on screens across the country Credit: PA More

5:04PM

The list gets bigger

The situation is moving very fast. The Health Service Journal has a list of the hospitals and organisations known to have been hit.

A list of NHS organisations who have fallen victims to today's nationwide ransomware attack: pic.twitter.com/LeXTO6YqFI — Shaun Lintern (@ShaunLintern) May 12, 2017

5:02PM

Aintree University Hospital 'down'

Top radiologist Rashid Akhtar reports that one of Liverpool's big hospitals is affected.

Aintree hospital down — Rashid Akhtar (@TheRadiologyReg) May 12, 2017

4:58PM

'Miracle' if on one comes to harm

Dominic Marley, a hospital doctor in the Manchester area, gives a grim perspective on the likely consequences of today's attack.

No x-rays/bloods/bleeps/phones/notes. This is unprecedented. It will be a miracle if no-one comes to harm #NHS#CyberAttack attack — Dominic Marley (@DominicMarley) May 12, 2017

4:53PM

Shocking and Unprecedented

Peter Warren, Cyber Security Research Institute said the NHS tends to be 'quite leaky' when it comes to security:

This is shocking and unprecedented. It is a historical moment, proving how important cyber security is. It hasn't been taken seriously enough for years, Cyber security is not a priority. The NHS is under pressure on many fronts. They tend to be quite leaky when it comes to cyber security. It is no surprise that this has happened.

4:45PM

Cyber Spooks

The National Cyber Security Centre are on the case.

Sources said officials from the National Cyber Security Centre, a branch of the GCHQ electronic spy agency, said they are working with the NCA, dubbed Britain's FBI, to help health managers.

The attack comes only weeks after the NCSC warned that so-called ransomware attacks, where hackers lock up data and demand money to release it, have become one the biggest cyber threats

We are aware of cyber incident and we are working with @NHSDigital and the @NCA_UK to investigate — NCSC UK (@ncsc) May 12, 2017

4:42PM

Dark Currency

Hospitals and GP surgeries appear to have been told to pay $300 dollars - £233 - in order to regain access to their files.

The hackers are demanding this is paid in Bitcoins, an unregulated internet currency that authorities find it difficult to trace.

1 Bitcoin is currently equivalent to £1,381.

4:34PM

Hospital super boss says everyone has to muck in

Chris Hopson, who represents NHS hospital bosses, said trusts will be supporting each other to get through the crisis.

The scale and scope of what looks to be an extensive malware attack on the NHS is not yet clear. Given the potential impact, NHS trusts take this type of attack very seriously. They have detailed and well rehearsed contingency plans in place to deal with incidents of this type and these plans have worked effectively when they have been triggered on an individual trust basis in the past. Trusts will rally round support each other to cope with the disruption and early feedback suggests that this is already happening in this case. However, it is likely that some services will be affected, at least in the short term. The trusts affected will now be doing all they can to minimise the impact on patients, and to get their services back to normal as quickly as possible.

4:29PM

Files held to ransom

Doctors across the country have seen this message - what appears to be ransomware - flash up on their screens

4:24PM

NHS confirms it is under attack

NHS Digital said: “We’re aware that a number of trusts that have reported potential issues to the CareCERT team. We believe it to be ransomware.”

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