Software firm fined £3m over medical record hack
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has fined a Birmingham software firm £3.07m for security failings that put the personal information of 79,404 people at risk.
Advanced Computer Software Group (now trading as OneAdvanced) provides IT and software services to organisations on a national scale, including the NHS and other healthcare providers, and handles people’s personal information on behalf of these organisations as their data processor.
A ransomware incident in August 2022 saw hackers initially access a number of Advanced’s health and care systems through a customer account that did not have multi-factor authentication.
The investigation found that personal information belonging to 79,404 people was taken, including details of how to gain entry into the homes of 890 people who were receiving care at home.
The ICO’s investigation concluded that Advanced’s health and care subsidiary did not have the appropriate technical and organisational measures in place to keep its health and care systems fully secure prior to the 2022 incident – including gaps in the deployment of MFA, a lack of comprehensive vulnerability scanning and inadequate patch management.
It had provisionally fined Advanced £6.09m in August 2024 but reduced the fine after Advanced representations on the decisions,
The ICO said the reduction came after Advanced’s engagement with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the NHS in the wake of the attack and other steps taken to mitigate the risk to those impacted.
John Edwards, Information Commissioner, said: “The security measures of Advanced’s subsidiary fell seriously short of what we would expect from an organisation processing such a large volume of sensitive information. While Advanced had installed multi-factor authentication across many of its systems, the lack of complete coverage meant hackers could gain access, putting thousands of people’s sensitive personal information at risk.
“People should never have to think twice about whether their medical records are in safe hands. To use services with confidence, they must be able to trust that every organisation coming into contact with their personal information – whether that’s using it, sharing it or storing it on behalf of others – is meeting its legal obligations to protect it.
“With cyber incidents increasing across all sectors, my decision today is a stark reminder that organisations risk becoming the next target without robust security measures in place. I urge all organisations to ensure that every external connection is secured with MFA today to protect the public and their personal information - there is no excuse for leaving any part of your system vulnerable.”
Edwards added: “I welcome the settlement with Advanced which concludes our investigation into this incident, providing regulatory certainty to organisations without the delay and cost of an appeals process.”
