LabCorp experienced a breach this past weekend , which it nows says was a ransomware attack Attack.Ransom . The intrusion has also prompted concerns that patient data may have also been stolen Attack.Databreach . One of the biggest clinical lab testing companies in the world , LabCorp , was hit Attack.Ransom with a `` new variant of ransomware '' over the weekend . `` LabCorp promptly took certain systems offline as a part of its comprehensive response to contain and remove the ransomware from its system , '' the company told PCMag in an email . `` We are working to restore additional systems and functions over the next several days . '' LabCorp declined to say what variant of ransomware was used . But according to The Wall Street Journal , the company was hit Attack.Ransom with a strain known as SamSam . In March , the same strain attacked Attack.Ransom the city of Atlanta 's IT network . Like other ransomware variants , SamSam will effectively lock down a computer , encrypting all the files inside , and then demand Attack.Ransom the victim pay up Attack.Ransom to free the system . In the Atlanta attack Attack.Ransom , the anonymous hackers demanded Attack.Ransom $ 51,000 , which the city government reportedly refused to pay Attack.Ransom . How much the hackers are demanding Attack.Ransom from LabCorp is n't clear ; the company declined to answer further questions about the attack Attack.Ransom or if it will pay the ransom Attack.Ransom . The lab testing provider first reported the breach on Monday , initially describing it as `` suspicious activity '' on the company 's IT systems that relate to healthcare diagnostics . This prompted fears that patient data may have been stolen Attack.Databreach . The North Carolina-based company processes more than 2.5 million lab tests per week and has over 1,900 patient centers across the US . `` LabCorp also has connections to most of the hospitals and other clinics in the United States , '' Pravin Kothari , CEO of cybersecurity firm CipherCloud , said in an email . `` All of this presents , at some point , perhaps an increased risk of cyber attacks propagating and moving through this expanded ecosystem . '' On Thursday , LabCorp issued a new statement and said the attack Attack.Ransom was a ransomware strain . At this point , the company has found `` no evidence of theft Attack.Databreach or misuse of data , '' but it 's continuing to investigate . `` As part of our in-depth and ongoing investigation into this incident , LabCorp has engaged outside security experts and is working with authorities , including law enforcement , '' the company added .

LabCorp experienced a breach this past weekend , which it nows says was a ransomware attack Attack.Ransom . The intrusion has also prompted concerns that patient data may have also been stolen Attack.Databreach . One of the biggest clinical lab testing companies in the world , LabCorp , was hit Attack.Ransom with a `` new variant of ransomware '' over the weekend . `` LabCorp promptly took certain systems offline as a part of its comprehensive response to contain and remove the ransomware from its system , '' the company told PCMag in an email . `` We are working to restore additional systems and functions over the next several days . '' LabCorp declined to say what variant of ransomware was used . But according to The Wall Street Journal , the company was hit Attack.Ransom with a strain known as SamSam . In March , the same strain attacked Attack.Ransom the city of Atlanta 's IT network . Like other ransomware variants , SamSam will effectively lock down a computer , encrypting all the files inside , and then demand Attack.Ransom the victim pay up Attack.Ransom to free the system . In the Atlanta attack Attack.Ransom , the anonymous hackers demanded Attack.Ransom $ 51,000 , which the city government reportedly refused to pay Attack.Ransom . How much the hackers are demanding Attack.Ransom from LabCorp is n't clear ; the company declined to answer further questions about the attack Attack.Ransom or if it will pay the ransom Attack.Ransom . The lab testing provider first reported the breach on Monday , initially describing it as `` suspicious activity '' on the company 's IT systems that relate to healthcare diagnostics . This prompted fears that patient data may have been stolen Attack.Databreach . The North Carolina-based company processes more than 2.5 million lab tests per week and has over 1,900 patient centers across the US . `` LabCorp also has connections to most of the hospitals and other clinics in the United States , '' Pravin Kothari , CEO of cybersecurity firm CipherCloud , said in an email . `` All of this presents , at some point , perhaps an increased risk of cyber attacks propagating and moving through this expanded ecosystem . '' On Thursday , LabCorp issued a new statement and said the attack Attack.Ransom was a ransomware strain . At this point , the company has found `` no evidence of theft Attack.Databreach or misuse of data , '' but it 's continuing to investigate . `` As part of our in-depth and ongoing investigation into this incident , LabCorp has engaged outside security experts and is working with authorities , including law enforcement , '' the company added .

The largest NHS trust in England has been hit by a cyber-attack that could affect thousands of files across at least four London hospitals . Barts health trust , which runs five hospitals in east London – the Royal London , St Bartholomew ’ s , Whipps Cross , Mile End and Newham – has sent a message to staff urging them not to open email attachments from unknown senders . “ We are urgently investigating this matter and have taken a number of drives offline as a precautionary measure , a Barts spokeswoman said . “ We have tried and tested contingency plans in place and are making every effort to ensure that patient care will not be affected ” . It was reported earlier on Friday that the trust had been targeted with ransomware , which is normally delivered via emails that trick Attack.Phishing the recipient into opening attachments and releasing malware on to their system . But the spokeswoman ruled out such an attack on Friday night . The trust has not said how much of its system has been affected by the attack or whether patient data has been compromised but it said it believed that most of the affected system was housing corporate data . The trust ’ s filing system between departments has been turned off while the investigation takes place . Staff at the Royal Free London foundation trust were also warned to beware of attacks on Friday , the Guardian has learned . “ We have been informed of a major cyber-attack on NHS organisations . Please exercise extreme caution when opening any email attachments from unknown source or that don ’ t seem relevant to you . We will be carrying out security scans on all computers within the trust so please leave them switched on until further notice , ” wrote the trust ’ s IT director , Tosh Mondal . A spokesman said the email was in reaction to the Barts attack and that the Royal Free London , as well as Barnet and Chase Farm hospitals , had not been affected . NHS Digital said it was aware that Barts had been infected by a “ virus which has affected their IT systems ” . A spokesperson said : “ This issue highlights the fact that there are threats to data security within the health and care sector , as with any other sector . We remain committed to supporting the protection of data with the highest possible security standards , high levels of security expertise from the centre and appropriate training and awareness of the risks for all staff ” . She declined to answer questions about whether other NHS trusts had been affected , how much data may have been affected and who may be behind the attack . In October , the Northern Lincolnshire and Goole foundation trust was hit Attack.Ransom by an attack in which malware was used to encrypt files and demand a ransom Attack.Ransom in order to restore access . The trust did not pay the ransom Attack.Ransom but was forced to cancel patient appointments as its systems were shut down to remove the virus . John Bambenek , a threat intelligence manager at the firm Fidelis Cybersecurity , said : “ The trouble is that local authorities and governments aren ’ t very prepared and they have extremely valuable information that simply can ’ t be lost , so they ’ re a tempting target for cybercriminals . “ Cyber defence is essential , but it ’ s no longer enough ; organisations of all sizes need to invest in detecting threats as well . Only then will cyber criminals be caught early enough to expel them from the network before serious damage is done ”