Computer virus knocks out NHS trust for three days

[Becky]

A computer virus has caused significant problems for the Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust, it has been reported. The IT department was forced to shut down almost entirely to resolve the problem - including clinical IT systems, which resulted in cancelled operations for patients. Their neighbouring trust, United Lincolnshire Hospitals, was also affected due to the fact that they share computer systems. Neither trust has so far revealed any details about how this came about or which virus caused the issue.

Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust picked up the virus on Sunday and shut down its IT systems in a bid to isolate and deal with the outbreak. Operations were cancelled on Monday and Tuesday accordingly, with the hope that a return to normal would be possible on Wednesday.

In an announcement yesterday, the Trust said: "A virus infected our electronic systems on Sunday October 30 and we have taken the decision, following expert advice, to shut down the majority of our systems so we can isolate and destroy it...

Questions will surely be asked as to how and why this could happen in an age when so much reliance is placed on these vital systems.

Read the full story here.

 

[bootneck02]

What no firewall, no anti virus.

 

[EvanDavis]

What no firewall, no anti virus.

Where did you read that ? Anyway if a virus wants through it will get through if it is a good virus even if there is an AV and firewall in place, even on your Linux system. And considering a lot of NHS trusts still run XP it makes it even easier.

 

[muckshifter]

Questions will surely be asked as to how and why this could happen in an age when so much reliance is placed on these vital systems.

Humans ... need to replace them.

 

[Abarbarian]

Anyway if a virus wants through it will get through if it is a good virus even if there is an AV and firewall in place, even on your Linux system.

You keep pointing out that linux is vulnerable to threats. Can you provide any actual examples of real threats that have affected real peoples computers ?

 

[EvanDavis]

that have affected real peoples computers ?

Here