A hacker with a history of releasing private information has threatened to do so unless it receives a ransom payment of $300,000 ($380,000) in bitcoins from members of the British Royal Family, including X-rays, letters from consultants, clinical notes, and pathology details.
This is according to the Daily Mail, which reported that the ‘Rhysida’ gang has threatened to release the stolen data from London’s King Edward VII’s Hospital if it does not receive up to 10 bitcoins by Tuesday as mentioned in the article.
This is according to the Daily Mail, which reported that the ‘Rhysida’ gang has threatened to release the stolen data from London’s King Edward VII’s Hospital if it does not receive up to 10 bitcoins by Tuesday as mentioned in the article.
“Unique files are presented to your attention! Data from the Royal Family! A large amount of patient and employee data. Sale in one lot!!,” it reads in the dark web message written by the gang. There were also images of the documents for sale that were posted on the website.
It should be noted that the Royal Family has been using the hospital for more than 100 years with patients such as Prince Philip, who was treated here in 2021, Kate, Princess of Wales, in 2012, and Queen Elizabeth II being treated there in 1991.
There has been no statement from GCHQ, the UK's intelligence, security and cyber agency, concerning the attack or whether it will be paid. However, some believe the ransom will be paid. GCHQ said it would "engage with King Edward VII's Hospital"
According to Philip Ingram, a former British colonel, there will be a degree of pressure placed upon the hospital to try to prevent any of the information about these patients from being released when they are highly sensitive, as Ingram explained to the Daily Mail.
However, the hospital has previously been involved in a controversial security breach when the Princess of Wales was being treated for morning sickness in 2012 during which the data of the hospital was compromised. However, there is no guarantee that the data will be returned and could even be sold to other criminal gangs.
The two Australian DJs contacted the hospital and arranged to obtain private information about their patients, which they then broadcast. It was the hospital's responsibility to apologise to the patient, and the nurse who gave birth to the baby also committed suicide after the incident.
