InfoSec / Cyber

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Children's mental health data leaked after a cyber attack

NHS Dumfries and Galloway has confirmed some children’s mental health data has been published by criminals following a cyber attack.    
The attack happened in March 2024, NHS Dumfries and Galloway have posted regular updates on their website:NHS Dumfries and Galloway Cyber Attack.

Initially they did not believe that patient personal data had been disclosed, however, the update a few days later confirmed that personal data had been disclosed, and patients were referred to data breach guidance on the NCSC website.

Dumfries and Galloway confirmed they were working with the NCSC to provide a robust response to the attack and actions were taken to address any further risk of incursion.

Initially the data of six patients was published, presumably to show that they had the data, followed by a publication of large volumes of data.

There is no information about which group launched the attack or if there is any impact on other NHS providers.

What to do in the event of a Cyber Attack 

Tell someone!  Report to IT. Report to SLT.

Unplug the computer from the internet by removing the ethernet cable or turning the Wi-Fi off. Isolate the infected device and pass to IT 

If you are a victim of a ransomware attack we would recommend reporting this to:
Action Fraud: https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/ as well as your data protection officer so they can advise about the data loss or your local police and ask for the cyber crime team or phone 101 and ask for the cyber crime team.

Most cyber crimes like these will also need to be reported to the ICO by your data protection officer. Our customers should email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

These incidents should also be reported to the DfE sector cyber team at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Academy trusts have to report these attacks to ESFA.

Where the incident causes long term school closure, the closure of more than 1 school or serious financial damage, you should also inform the National Cyber Security Centre.

Always ensure there are backups you can restore from.  Preserving evidence is as important as recovering from the crime.

Forward suspicious emails to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Report SMS scams by forwarding the original message to 7726 (spells SPAM on the keypad).

Little Guide to ACTION FRAUD

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