UK Healthcare Sector Records Tenfold Increase in Cyber-Attacks

SonicWall telemetry shows a tenfold increase in attacks against UK healthcare in January–May 2026 (264,000 events versus 27,000 in 2025), with 41% of detections attempting to exploit Log4Shell, widespread attempts to exploit a React.js RCE affecting new patient portals (React2Shell), and authentication bypass attacks against F5 BIG-IP devices; the report attributes the surge to legacy unpatched Java systems, newly exposed internet-facing infrastructure, and intensified targeting that has prompted NCSC action.