Mark Edwards, chief information security officer at Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW), has warned that cyber attacks on critical national infrastructure are expected to rise amid global conflicts.
During the NHS Confed Expo in Manchester, Edwards highlighted the surge in cyber attacks, stating that these incidents are not just about ransom or extortion, but are strategically planned to disrupt operations and bring systems down.
Referring to the recent ransomware attack on Synnovis that impacted pathology systems in south east London, Edwards emphasized the importance of enhancing supply chain security in addition to internal security measures.
He also raised concerns about the accessibility of ransomware as a service, making it dangerously easy for malicious actors to launch attacks without much technical expertise.
Sharing insights on the Synnovis cyber attack, Edwards indicated that the attackers exploited vulnerabilities in supplier networks, eventually purchasing attack services from a Russian-based company called Qilin.
Lena Samuels, chair of the Hampshire, Southampton, and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board, echoed the concerns about supply chain vulnerabilities and urged organizations to assess and strengthen cyber protection within their supply chain resilience strategies.
The growing risks posed by supply chain vulnerabilities require healthcare organizations to proactively address cyber protection measures and establish protocols to mitigate potential threats.
