Hackers who targeted the private hospital which treated Kate, Princess of Wales, are threatening to release private medical information belonging to members of the Royal Family.
The gang broke into the computer systems of the King Edward VII’s Hospital and warned they aim to release ‘data from the Royal Family’ on Tuesday unless they are paid £300,000 in the cyber currency Bitcoin.
The ransom demand was made on the dark web, where the hackers posted images of what they claim are stolen files including X-rays, letters from consultants, registration forms, handwritten clinical notes, and pathology forms.
GCHQ and police are investigating the attack by hacking gang Rhysida – named after a venomous tropical centipede.
The 56-bed private hospital in Marylebone has been used by the Royal Family for more than a century. The late Queen Elizabeth II was a patient and so was Prince Philip who spent almost a month being treated there before he died aged 99 in 2021.
The Princess of Wales was admitted there in 2012 with prolonged bouts of acute morning sickness during her first pregnancy.
During her stay, two Australian radio DJs placed a hoax call and obtained private medical information about Kate – then the Duchess of Cambridge – which they then broadcast, forcing hospital bosses into an embarrassing apology.
The nurse who unwittingly took the call later took her own life over the prank.
Last night, Philip Ingram, former British military intelligence colonel, said: ‘Given the highly sensitive nature of the patients, there will be a degree of pressure on the hospital to try to stop any of this data being released.
And therefore I would expect them to explore the possibility of paying the ransom.
Hellbound and Down 