A report from SonicWall reveals that the UK healthcare sector has faced a tenfold increase in cyber-attacks from January to May 2026, compared to the entire year of 2025. The data indicates 264,000 cyber events during the first five months of 2026, making it the highest among verticals. Major threats include exploits targeting legacy systems and recent vulnerabilities, such as Log4Shell and React2Shell attacks.
Healthcare organizations struggle with outdated Java-based clinical applications that complicate patching, exposing them to continued risks. SonicWall attributes increased attacks to newly internet-connected infrastructure and possibly intensified targeting by actors such as Iran. The National Cyber Security Centre has responded by initiating a plan to enhance cyber resilience within the sector.