VIA: A large cyberattack crippled computer systems at hospitals across England on Friday, with appointments canceled, phone lines down and patients turned away.
Britain’s National Health Service said hospitals were hit by an apparent “ransomware” attack, but there was no immediate evidence that patient data had been accessed.
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NHS Digital, which oversees hospital cybersecurity, says the attack used the Wanna Decryptor variant of malware, which infects and locks computers while the attackers demand a ransom.
Pictures posted on social media showed screens of NHS computers with images demanding payment of $300 worth of the online currency Bitcoin, saying: “Ooops, your files have been encrypted!”
NHS Digital said the attack “was not specifically targeted at the NHS and is affecting organizations from across a range of sectors.” It said 16 NHS organizations had reported being hit.
In the U.K., hospitals in London, northwest England and other parts of the country reported problems and asked patients not to come to the hospitals unless it was an emergency. Most of the affected hospitals were in England, but several facilities in Scotland also reported being hit.