NHS Dumfries and Galloway warns everyone to 'assume data has been published' following cyber attack

NHS Dumfries and Galloway has told everyone in the area to “assume” their data has been leaked following a major hack earlier this year.

The attack took place in February, during which criminals illegally copied large numbers of files held on the health board’s servers.

While patient medical records were not affected, many other documents, such as patient letters, test results, and X-rays, were copied, and later released on the internet.

Staff and patients are also potentially at risk as a result of the data theft.

The health board issued an update on the cyber attack that happened in February of this year, and advised residents on how to stay safe online.

Chief executive, Julie White, told everyone in the region to “assume” that their data is likely to have been copied and published online.

Julie White added that the board has asked both staff and the public to be on their guard for any suspicious activity.

“This includes any attempts to access computer systems, such as suspicious emails from an unverified sender asking them to click a link (known as ‘phishing’), as well as phone calls.

“If anyone has suspicions, they should call Police Scotland by phoning 101,” she added.

NHS Dumfries and Galloway has since put precautions in place to protect against other similar attacks, and continues to work with Police Scotland and other government agencies to support their investigation.