'Web security must be boosted to stop the theft of personal details'

The founding boss of the National Cyber Security Centre says the NHS is vulnerable to cyber attacks unless it updates its computer systems

The internet rivals the invention of the wheel and the printing press for the way it has transformed our lives.

But, just as wheels enabled crooks to make quick getaways and printing made forgery easier, the online world has become fertile territory for criminals.

Today we reveal a staggering 4.7 million attempts to steal personal records from the Department of Health over two years.

Filching such data can lead to the theft of passwords and identities, allowing cyber villains to get their hands on our money.

An attack in June led to hackers stealing 300 million NHS patient records and disrupting hospital and GP appointments.

Add to that state hackers from Russia and China trying to nick our most precious secrets and we face a serious and growing threat.

Vladimir Putin’s spies use bikini bots fronted by stolen images of scantily clad young women in a bid to sow unrest and discord in the UK.

The National Cyber Security Centre aims to make the UK the safest place to live and work online. But its founding boss says the NHS is vulnerable unless it updates its systems.

Doctors complain their tech is so old it keeps crashing – which not only gives hackers a gateway, but risks patient safety. Heath Secretary Wes Streeting has a 10-year plan to turn the NHS from an analogue service into a secure digital one. We cannot wait that long.

Upgrades are essential now. And that goes for all Britain’s creaking online systems.

Cop probe vital

Those in positions of power, especially the police, should never try to hide errors.

The police operate with the consent of
the public. And if trust is lost, effective law enforcement goes with it.

An attempted cover-up is the charge laid by victims’ families against Nottingham police chief Kate Meynell following the sentencing of knifeman Valdo Calocane for his triple killing spree in the city last year.

The chief constable allegedly tried to gag the press to avoid critical headlines over what her force previously knew about the killer.

This will be investigated by the Independent Office for Police Conduct. We welcome that, and the public inquiry which will follow. We look forward to the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth being firmly established.

Rayner cares

We went with Angela Rayner to IKEA, where workers earn more than those
who opt for a career in social care.

Labour is determined to change that with its fair pay plan in the Employment Rights Bill. But IKEA could yet prove handy for the deputy PM – if she ever gets the top job and needs to assemble a cabinet.