Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
THE HEALTH MINISTER has described as “positive” the initial results from testing the validity of a decryption key that may help the HSE to unlock its IT systems.
The government said yesterday that the tool was made available online. A “detailed technical process” then began to ensure that the key is genuine and will not cause any further damage to the HSE systems.
The HSE shut down its IT systems last Friday after it became aware of a significant ransomware attack.
Stephen Donnelly said security contractors are “testing the validity of the key” at the moment.
“The initial results are positive, but obviously it’s a detailed, technical piece of work,” the Health Minister told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland.
And we need to be absolutely sure that this will help restore the health systems, rather than potentially cause further harm. So work is ongoing on that at the moment.
The minister said it’s “unclear” why this decryption tool was made available.
“It came as a surprise. We became aware yesterday afternoon that the key was being made available on a site which is linked to this criminal gang.
“Our technical group obviously then obtained that key, and are currently testing it.”
The Journal reported yesterday that the ransomware attack started when a single computer stopped working, causing its user to reach out for help by clicking on a link.
Donnelly said “no ransom has been paid by this government directly, indirectly, through any third-party or in any other way, nor will any such ransom be paid”.
Reports said the hackers have threatened to release the data if a ransom is not paid by next Monday, a threat Donnelly said is being taken “very seriously”.
“There obviously have been redacted pieces of information put up on the dark web to this point. Because it’s an ongoing criminal investigation, we can’t confirm whether the records are genuine.
“However, as people will be aware. It is entirely possible and this sort of approach is quite standard procedure in these kinds of attacks.”
Injunction
Yesterday, the HSE acquired a court injunction that requires anyone who is possessing HSE data to hand it over and not disclose, trade or deal in the information.
Donnelly defended the injunction, saying officials received a “very positive and strong” result from the judge.
“I don’t imagine that a criminal gang capable of doing what they did to our healthcare system and to patients in our country are going to be too worried about a court order, however it is relevant and very applicable to people here who may seek to share that information themselves, potentially just out of interest or for their own reasons,” he said.
Donnelly added that there is “good progress being made” in restoring some health systems across services for radiology, local labs and patient administration.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
FFFG: politely asking industry to behave since 1916.
@ed ed: I disagree. Enforcement in the years 1916 – 1923 was more effective than anything since.
@ed ed: enforce a maximum % above ECB rate for all primary residential mortgages….. the banks exist only because we bailed their behinds out. They need a licence to operate, and make this a condition of it.
@Brian Keelty: Pepper would be even bigger if we hadn’t bailed out the pillar banks, you do realise this?
Disgraceful the way this government will not take action for the better of its citizens and stand in the sidelines shouting is just bizarre. Time up FFG.
@Vincent Hughes: Oh yeah,and sf will march into all the energy providers/banks/supermarkets/insurance companies etc etc and DEMAND they lower their prices for ‘the people’…..they will be laughed out the door and told ‘if you want to subsidise it,go right ahead’.
@uUleRhCu: As sure as night follows day, Here’s Terry with his anti SF nonsense on a non SF story, If SF do DEMAND services to do what you’ve said – at least they would be TRYING not like FFG who have had a bite at the cherry for 100 years and get laughed at constantly… Let’s give someone else a bite of that cherry, I don’t think anybody could be as inept as FFG.
@KTH: you’re 100pc right.
@KTH: this absolute nonsense that things can’t get any worse is exactly that.nonsense.And sf are the gift that keeps giving in regards to their silly promises that they will ‘fix’ things that they have no control of…pearse Doherty had a big whinge at the government recently about hotel costs!!!.what has that to do with the government……finally I will be as vocal as I am now about the next opposition and peoples stupid call outs to the government to fix things that they can’t.
@uUleRhCu:
I never said things cant get any worse did I?
So you’re the one talking nonsense.
What has hotel costs got to do with the government?
Do the hotel lobby not go cap in hand all the time looking for more favourable VAT rates all the time?
Who is that they ask for their “special” VAT rates?
Oh yeah it’s the government.
So when the hotels GAZUMP their loyal customers with their prices it actually could be brought up by the government to address this.
@uUleRhCu: tbf here now John, current hotel costs have an awful lot to do with government. It was this government who decided to take in 100k (?) refugees with absolutely no where to accommodate them. They were then shoe horned in to hotels at a large expense to the tax payer. This has basically decimated the supply of hotel rooms in this country and ultimately driven prices through the roof. I say that with no real fondness for SF but it is very fair to blame the price of hotels on the government as it is 100% their fault.
@Journal Commenter: hotel prices were high before the Ukrainian war.
@uUleRhCu: they weren’t cheap that’s for sure. But come on, theres no comparison now. If there is an event on in Dublin you have hostels looking for anywhere from €400 to €800 for a bed in a 10 bed dormitory. I’ve seen it first hand. And that is solely because there is no demand due to the massive amount of hotels housing immigrants and that absolutely is government policy. It is also having massive adverse effects on the tourism industry here. The government cop a lot of unfair criticism for stuff beyond their control, but when it comes to accommodation costs it is largely on them. Lets be fair both ways.
@Journal Commenter: *there is no supply that should say. There is plenty of demand haha.
@Journal Commenter: 175 euro for 7 October in the rochestown lodge,not a chance.
@Thomas: I have a wedding next year in west cork. There is a large number of rooms reserved for the guests. Mind you they want close to the bones of 350 per rooms per night for the privilege. As if weddings are not expensive enough as it is without throwing close to 700 on top for the two nights stay. Absolute gouging when they are already making a fortune from the wedding you would imagine. I certainly won’t be paying it anyway.
@Journal Commenter: I don’t blame,we’re having our kids after christening party in said venue,il be spending a few hundred euro,meal etc,like yourself I won’t be paying that to stay.
@Thomas: apologies, I don’t blame you.
@Thomas: I’m lucky all the same though, I have a friend who actually lives fairly close to the wedding venue and he invited me and the missus to stay with him and his wife for it. Il get him a good bottle of whiskey and bring himself and the wife out for a nice lunch before we head off again as a thank you. But the sad thing is a lot of wedding guests are travelling from all over the country and there is next to nothing available in the area to rent other than the hotel rooms in question, so most will be forced in to paying that kings ransom. Disgusting greed from an industry that not long ago was crying and pleading to be helped when Covid raged. As the saying goes, eaten bread is soon forgotten! I hope ye enjoy the christening all the same and have a good day out from it!
@Journal Commenter: Thank you,and you enjoy the wedding,and west cork bye the way,lovely spot.
@Journal Commenter: are you suggesting the government should ignore their international and EU obligations in regards to taking in migrants? SF are fully behind the migration numbers, so where will that leave you?
This country is in bits:
Law and disorder
Mortgages
Housing Crisis
More excise duty on petrol/diesel is being discussed
Homeless
Cost of living
Skilled workers moving abroad
Road deaths
Climate crisis
And you can add and add and add to this
nothing is getting better
The country is an absolute disgrace and it’s all down to FF and FG.
General Election as soon as possible, please.
No votes for FF or FG at all – will put anyone else all the way down the ballot paper.
No backdoors for these greedy greedy men/women on over 100k a year in their private cars and government-sponsored holidays on private jets.
@Someone Financing The Welfare Leeches:
A wonderful contribution to a serious situation. Well done.
Please go back under your bridge where you use a puddle as a mirror.
@Rafa C: The republic is starting to look like (and I cant believe I am typing this), A Failed State!
@Gerard Hayden: Starting? It’s been failing for decades!
@Rafa C: the space button is your friend Rafa.
At the end of the day a CEO of a bank is only interested in making a profit – so the house will always win. They just pretend to listen to government and the game goes on. If government really interested in tackling costs of mortgage they should look to remove dual income calculation and base it on one pay etc. we are still living with low interest rates (even though they are going up). But we know high property prices benefit property agents/lawyers/banks and government – and they will tell us it’s our fault when it all comes tumbling down!!!
@Shane C: Why base borrowing on a single income? All that would do is give preference to individual borrowers over couples/families
@Mick Duvanny: good point but then again we got house inflation due to us lumping gross incomes together in the first place – surely house price would reduce based on single income?
Pepper are a disgrace.
That debt still has to be paid so the term will just be extended after the 2 years at low rate. More interest for them overall.
And more debt for those stuck mortgage holders.
glad I left ireland
@John Terry: “energy providers/banks/supermarkets/insurance companies etc…”
Gov can always:
Energy providers – see Nationalisation of EnergyvSystem: Motion [Private Members] Vol.1031 No. 2, 12 Dec 2022
Banks: create a state or county bank of last resort for lending / mortgages
Supermarkets – make them publish figures for turnover / profit on a regular basis
Insurance companies: create a state or county insurance company of last resort
With the stroke of a pen, government can do any of these without breaking EU rules.
I often wonder why Ulster bank and KBC jumped ship !
@:
@Trent: both of them called it wrong. All the Banks making record profits with the ECB hikes. Bad management decisions!
@Dave X: no they didn’t. Ulster bank wanted out of the Irish market for years. Nat west make more than enough profits without needing UB and the pain in the ass of having to deal with the CBI and the hoop jumping required to do business in Ireland is my understanding from what Iv been told by people within the bank itself. It has nothing to do with bad management decisions or getting it wrong.
‘Non-entity’ – quite the Freudian slip there lads …
have your say