Security News > 2022 > August > Emergency services call-handling provider: Ransomware forced it to pull servers offline
Advanced, the MSP forced to shut down some of its servers last week after identifying an "Issue" with its infrastructure hosting products, has confirmed a ransomware attack and says recovery will be in the order of weeks.
Some 36 customers from the UK's National Health Service use services provided by Advanced, including NHS 111, which provides round-the-clock support such as health information.
Following this, Advanced will bring impacted infrastructure back online and reconnect services "As part of a phased return."
"With respect to the NHS, we are working with them and the NCSC to validate the additional steps we have taken, at which point the NHS will begin to bring its services back online."
"For NHS 111 and other urgent care customers using Adastra and NHS Trusts using eFinancials, we anticipate this phased process to begin within the next few days. For other NHS customers and Care organisations our current view is that it will be necessary to maintain existing contingency plans for at least three to four more weeks. We are working tirelessly to bring this timeline forward, and while we are hopeful to do so, we want our customers to be prepared. We will continue to provide updates as we make progress."
A security source close to the matter told us there are suggestions the criminals behind the ransomware could have been in Advanced's network for months, and that hundreds of millions of NHS records may have been captured.