Ethical Hacking News
Synnovis, a leading UK pathology services provider, has informed healthcare providers that a data breach occurred following a ransomware attack in June 2024. The stolen data includes personal information such as names, dates of birth, NHS numbers, and test results that could be matched to an individual. Synnovis is now notifying affected NHS organizations directly and will not contact patients personally. The incident is linked to the Qilin ransomware gang, which has claimed responsibility for over 300 victims.
Synnovis, a UK pathology services provider, has informed healthcare providers that a ransomware attack led to a data breach in June 2024.A ransomware attack linked to the Qilin gang resulted in the theft of patient personal data, including names, dates of birth, and NHS numbers.The stolen data was fragmented and incomplete, requiring specialized platforms and processes to reconstruct it.Synnovis has reached out to affected NHS hospitals and clinics to notify those impacted directly by the data breach.While the data poses a threat, it's not immediately actionable for malicious purposes due to its clinical nature.The Qilin ransomware gang is believed to be behind the attack, with over 300 victims across its dark web leak site.Synnovis did not pay any ransom and secured a legal injunction against further use of the stolen data.The incident highlights the need for robust cybersecurity measures within healthcare organizations to safeguard patient data against sophisticated threats.
Synnovis, a leading UK pathology services provider that recently rebranded from Viapath in October 2022 as part of a partnership between SYNLAB, the Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, and King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, has now informed healthcare providers that a data breach occurred following a ransomware attack in June 2024. This incident has led to the theft of some patients' personal data, specifically including their names, dates of birth, NHS numbers, and in some cases, test results which could be matched to an individual.
According to Synnovis, the stolen data was fragmented, incomplete, and unstructured, necessitating the use of specialized platforms and bespoke processes to reconstruct it. The company acknowledges that this has significantly extended the duration of its investigation into the breach, with the organization now reaching out to affected NHS hospitals and clinics as part of a concerted effort to notify those impacted directly by the data breach.
Synnovis asserts that the majority of the stolen information requires "clinical knowledge or further enrichment to interpret," implying that while the data does pose a threat in terms of patient confidentiality, it is not immediately actionable for malicious purposes. However, given its sensitive nature, Synnovis will handle patient notifications independently, with impacted NHS organizations taking primary responsibility.
In June 2024, Synnovis was hit by a ransomware attack known to be linked to the Qilin ransomware gang, which had major implications on procedures and operations at multiple large NHS hospitals in London. The breach resulted in numerous disruptions, including the cancellation or postponement of non-emergency appointments and blood transfusions at these impacted facilities, along with a substantial reduction in operational capabilities due to over 800 canceled operations and 700 outpatient appointments.
While Synnovis has yet to publicly name the threat group behind last year's ransomware attack, Ciaran Martin, founder and first CEO of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), has suggested that the incident was linked to the Qilin operation. The Qilin ransomware gang initially surfaced in August 2022 as a Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) operation under the name "Agenda" and claims responsibility for more than 300 victims across its dark web leak site, including notable targets such as automotive giant Yangfeng and publishing giant Lee Enterprises.
Following the release of stolen data by the attackers on June 20, 2024, Synnovis notified the Information Commissioner's Office and secured a legal injunction against further use of the data. Notably, Synnovis did not pay any ransom following the incident, adhering to a joint decision made with its NHS Trust partners that reflects their commitment to ethical principles and rejecting funding for future cybercriminal activities threatening critical infrastructure, patient privacy, and national security.
This recent breach serves as another stark reminder of the increasing sophistication and menace posed by modern-day ransomware attacks. The Synnovis data breach, coupled with other recent incidents such as the Microsoft November 2025 Patch Tuesday fixes 1 zero-day, 63 flaws and the APT37 hackers abusing Google Find Hub in Android data-wiping attacks, highlights the need for robust cybersecurity measures within healthcare organizations to safeguard patient data against increasingly sophisticated threats.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/Synnovis-Notifies-of-Data-Breach-Following-2024-Ransomware-Attack-ehn.shtml
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/synnovis-notifies-of-data-breach-after-2024-ransomware-attack/
https://www.synnovis.co.uk/news-and-press/synnovis-completes-forensic-review-following-2024-cyberattack
https://breachspot.com/news/data-breaches/synnovis-alerts-uk-providers-about-2024-data-theft-incident/
Published: Wed Nov 12 06:35:55 2025 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
