NHS pager data is released online, exposing patient information to whoever wants it.
According to a TechCrunch report, UK hospital and ambulance radio data was intercepted by third parties and posted online.
Unencrypted, real-time medical data was translated into readable text, which was then sent over the Internet via a webcam. However, since this webcam did not require a password, anyone could view the information without going through any type of connection.
Dr. Paging Fort
The system was discovered by Daley Borda, a security researcher, who reported the incident to TechCrunch.
Although he reported the webcam feed to be of very low quality, viewers could still make out lines of text containing patient information.
This included information after calls to the 999 emergency number, including a message saying a 98-year-old man had fallen into his home and another message saying a 49-year-old man complained of chest pain at a nursing home. neighbor.
However, Borda and TechCrunch have been unable to locate the owner of the streaming system, leaving the impression that it is the work of a local enthusiast unaware of the scale of the operation.
Although they have been around for decades, pagers are still a popular tool in UK medical centers. Their small size and long battery life make them extremely useful for doctors on call.
Because they emit at low frequencies, radio waves from pagers can also travel farther and farther than mobile phones, and many hospitals have reinforced or thickened walls to protect residents from X-rays and other radiation.
The NHS was ordered to stop using pagers by 2021 as the health service planned to continue its modernization efforts, but recent government figures claim around 130,000 devices are still in use today.
Via: TechCrunch