Yet another NHS cyber-vulnerability: fax machines

[grow_thumb image=”https://telecareaware.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/attackflow1.png” thumb_width=”250″ /]Now fax machines are hackable, say the white hats at Check Point Research. Your GP or doctor thinks they are safe, but their protocols haven’t been updated since the Big ’80s. Check Point found that all a hacker needs is the fax number to hack into one. 

The ‘how to’ is in the article. New ‘all in one’ printers which are connected to phone lines and wirelessly to networks can receive a malicious fax as an entry point into the network. Data is then exfiltrated through another fax as illustrated above left. Check Point’s study cited the HP OfficeJet Pro All-in-One fax printer but others would be vulnerable as well. Online electronic fax numbers may also have problems.

NHS’ census, released via a FOIA request, indicates it uses 9,000 fax machines. NHS has minimized the risk they present. HP has since issued security updates for its fax printers. Also Digital Health. 

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