Pirate Ninjas Warn NHS – Your Networks are Insecure

If that’s not the strangest headline you see today, we apologise. But the BBC are reporting that “Lulz Security”, a self-styled collective of “pirate ninjas” have uncovered weaknesses in the National Health Service’s computer network.

The group, who claim to behind recent hacking attacks targeting Sony, have contacted NHS network administrators to let them know that there’s a security issue that needs to be fixed. They’ve announced that they don’t want to take any data, and that they’re providing a public service:

“While you aren’t considered an enemy – your work is of course brilliant – we did stumble upon several of your admin passwords. We mean you no harm and only want to help you fix your tech issues.”

We think that’s very charitable of them, and that they should be applauded, although the NHS haven’t reacted quite so positively, as comments from the Department of Health show:

This is a local issue affecting a very small number of website administrators. No patient information has been compromised. No national NHS information systems have been affected. The Department has issued guidance to the local NHS about how to protect and secure all their information assets.

Then again, we wouldn’t be too impressed if an anonymous group of online activists pointed out that any random thief could simply log in and steal information from our networks either.

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