Capita is attributing the outage to a cyber-attack, and is currently working urgently to restore its IT systems | Cyber Attack on Health Care system

Capita, the outsourcing company responsible for running critical services for the NHS and the military, confirmed a cyber-attack was the cause of a major IT outage that affected clients such as local councils. On Monday morning, Capita was still working to restore online services for affected clients, some of which were forced to use manual methods such as radios and paper. While the company did not specify which customers were impacted, it did state that staff access to internal applications had been restored and that it was making progress in restoring client services securely. Capita is a significant supplier to the UK government, with over £6.5bn worth of public sector contracts, including the Department for Work and Pensions and the National Cyber Security Centre.

Cyber Attacks in Health Care systems

The healthcare industry in India is increasingly prioritizing cybersecurity in the wake of an alarming rise in cyberattacks. The high-profile cyberattack on the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in November 2022 served as a wake-up call for hospital executives to strengthen their systems with security solutions. As a result, there has been a surge in demand for cybersecurity solutions in the healthcare sector, with inquiries increasing by 10-15 times, according to cybersecurity experts.

Cyberattacks in the healthcare sector in India have risen by 60% in 2022 compared to the previous year, and the country was the second-most targeted after the US in terms of attacks on the healthcare sector. The healthcare sector is embracing newer cybersecurity technologies, such as Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR/XDR) and zero trust user access tools, to replace traditional approaches like virtual private networks (VPNs) and individual antivirus protections.

To improve their cybersecurity posture, hospitals are deploying new and upgraded solutions, such as multi-factor authentication for all employees, advanced firewalls with advanced threat protection, endpoint detection and response software, and upgraded firewalls across all group hospitals. Hospitals are also conducting detailed assessments of their security landscape to plug possible gaps and provide real-time detection and analysis of threats through threat intelligence tools. Moreover, regular employee training programs are being devised to increase awareness among employees.