News and Analysis

The NHS in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, has warned patients that cyber criminals could attempt to blackmail them following a leak of health records online. Test results, complaints records and internal correspondence about the patients are believed to have been stolen. The data breach could leave victims open to criminal extortion if hackers threaten to publish the information, or others who have viewed the NHS records online. The health board has advised patients to assume their data has been copied and published online.