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A Russian hacking group called Qilin has claimed responsibility for the cyberattack on the London NHS trust. The attack resulted in hospitals having to halt operations, divert ambulances, as well as issue a nation-wide call for blood donations.

Russian Hackers Demands $50 Million from Synnovis Over NHS Services

The group is requesting a sum of $50 million from Synnovis, the target of the attack, which is crucial for the pathology services relied upon by the Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust.

Additionally, there is a warning that data stolen in the breach is being prepared for publication.

According to TechRadarPro, the company, formed through a collaboration between the NHS and a private company, provides analysis services for blood, urine, and tissue samples to various hospitals and GP surgeries.

The NHS has admitted that 814 procedures, including urgent cancer and transplant operations, were canceled following the attack.

A spokesperson from the ransomware group announced that they will soon release the stolen data as proof of the attack and to support their ransom demand.

London Hospitals in Crisis as Cyberattack Hits Patient Care

In the first week, doctors had to cancel over 850 outpatient appointments due to their inability to perform required tests.

Management is concerned that a complete recovery will be a lengthy process, as the labs can currently only operate at 10% of their usual capacity. This may result in additional cancellations in the coming months, Daily Mail reported.

Several healthcare organizations in the south-east of London, including King's College Hospital, Guy's, St Thomas's, and Evelina Children's Hospital, have been affected, with Evelina Children's Hospital even declaring a 'critical incident', according to NHS London.

They indicated that the attack had a justifiable motive, as it was seen as a response to the British government's participation in undisclosed conflicts.

The representative mentioned that they stopped communicating with Synnovis after not receiving a payment within the given 120-hour deadline.

It was revealed that unauthorized individuals had taken advantage of a previously undisclosed security flaw to infiltrate Synnovis' computer systems.