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Niall Carson

HSE effort to rebuild systems after ransomware attack is 'gaining momentum'

Paul Reid, HSE CEO, said that work was progressing but added that patients and staff were still at risk.

THE HSE’S EFFORTS to rebuild its cyber-attack destroyed systems are “gaining momentum”, Paul Reid has said.

The CEO of the organisation tweeted today that technicians were working to overcome the difficulties.

“We’re gaining momentum in rebuilding many of our healthcare systems. We’re conscious it will be some time yet before our patients & staff see the full benefits though & we’re still at high risk levels,” he explained.

Speaking on RTE Radio Junior Minister for eGovernment and Public Procurement Ossian Smyth said that the technicians were ahead of schedule in their work.

“They’re making enormous progress and they’re further ahead than they expected to be” – on rebuilding the infrastructure,” he said.

Minister Smyth added that there was “no evidence” that any data had been deleted and said that they believe that no data on Tusla computers had been accessed by the hackers

“The outcome is going to be good and I think that the HSE is going to be a stronger and more resilient organisation after the attack,” he added.

Colm Henry, the HSE Chief Clinical Officer said on Raidió na Gaeltachta refused to criticise the standard of the HSE’s cyber defences.

“We must remember at all times that this attack was perpetrated by criminals who had no scruples about who they targeted and who suffered as a result of their criminality,” he said.

The HSE confirmed yesterday that data from at least 520 patients has appeared online.

Late week the Financial Times reported that it had seen screenshots and files proving that medical and personal information belonging to HSE patients had been shared online. 

The HSE shut down its IT systems a fortnight ago after it became aware of a significant ransomware attack, with widespread disruption across the health service as a result. 

The Financial Times story appeared to be the first confirmation of a data leak since the attack.

The Minister for Heath subsequently confirmed that the leak was genuine and the HSE has now said that it includes “sensitive patient data” and other documents.  

“Recently a news publication wrote a story saying they had seen HSE data that had been illegally accessed. We informed the publication of the court order we obtained in relation to this matter last week and asked them to supply it to us, and they agreed,” the HSE said in a statement. 

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    Mute Arch Angel
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    May 29th 2021, 5:36 PM

    I’m a little puzzled by some of the comments here. I’m not an IT security specialist, if there are those who are, by all means please make yourselves known, because in matters such as this only qualified opinions carry weight.
    We know the HSE did ask for funding to upgrade their IT systems in the past and it was refused for various reasons, this was witnessed by ex HSE IT employees. It’s well documented they also have difficulty holding onto IT staff, who leave for better paying roles in the private sector.
    So, the decisions which lead to where we are now were largely political, it would have been unpopular to fund an expensive IT upgrade, so everyone procrastinated, avoided any decision and did what we always do. They kicked the proverbial can down the road. This was also the case when it came to retaining highly trained, specialist IT staff, the HSE wouldn’t pay them what they were worth as it wouldn’t have been politically acceptable and, as we know, they left to better paying positions in the private sector.
    So, here we are. The very people criticising what’s happened now are, in all likelihood, those who would have criticised the HSE had they spent the money upgrading their IT systems, had they increased their salaries for specialist IT staff. These are some of the people the politicians were afraid of when they made their decisions and they’re still blaming everyone else. We all share some responsibility.

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    Mute AA
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    May 29th 2021, 11:06 PM

    @Arch Angel: I’m one of the people who would criticize what’s happened.. I’m an IT cyber specialist. I would not have criticized the HSE for spending market rates on specialist engineers who could have secured patient data by implementing a cyber defence on a par with private sector organisations. Where is the accountability? Political or technical. Where is the accountability. None. Instead blame those bad criminals who had the audacity to target a national health system? Really?

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    Mute Sean McCann
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    May 30th 2021, 12:40 PM

    @AA: Well it’s a bit like leaving the window open and not blaming the burglars when you get burgled.
    However your are correct in that there is no accountability in the public service. Externally it doesn’t appear to be a learning organisation. That comes from the top and it’s very hard to install in a large organisation. Especially one as litigious as this country.
    As an IT security specialist you are well aware that if security or robustness is not built into the design at the start it’s very difficult and expensive to bolt it on afterwards. It’s hard to make a case when people think security spending means not delivering patient services.
    The government’s record on delivery of IT systems doesn’t inspire confidence. Remember PPARS.

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    Mute Richard O'Clear
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    May 29th 2021, 3:52 PM

    Total lack of accountability, when patient records start getting thrown out on the web I hope the owners fully sue the HSE under the GDPR rules.

    Reid is incompetent.

    148
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    Mute Patricia O'Reilly
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    May 29th 2021, 4:12 PM

    @Richard O’Clear: not going to change anything, consecutive governments have failed to invest in updating the computer systems. You can’t blame one guy. I’d rather they now invest properly in an upgrade , and not have to pay out huge sums to claims.. leaving us in a worse position than before unable to pay for updates. The Russian hackers are responsible.. sue them . Our HSE staff have gone above and beyond the call of duty this past 15 months.. while the majority of you all sat at home ..

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    Mute GrumpyAulFella
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    May 29th 2021, 4:32 PM

    @Patricia O’Reilly: HSE frontline staff yes. HSE overpopulated admin and middle management staff, no.

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    Mute Brian Flavin
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    May 29th 2021, 3:50 PM

    Hse no excuse All computers too old to to some over 20 years old useless weak security that why hacker through. Should replace all new apple computers

    43
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    Mute Jack Johnson
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    May 29th 2021, 3:54 PM

    @Brian Flavin: they might get you some grammar lessons while they are at it.

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    Mute To Mt
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    May 29th 2021, 4:28 PM

    @Jack Johnson: grammar isn’t actually bad, they just left out and added in a word or two words, done it myself plentyoftimes. I understood them so I don’t see the big deal.

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    Mute To Mt
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    May 29th 2021, 4:37 PM

    @To Mt: see, I actually made a mess of that comment lol

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    Mute Mickety Dee
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    May 29th 2021, 5:53 PM

    @Brian Flavin: You must be privy to information that the rest of us aren’t

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    Mute Arch Angel
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    May 29th 2021, 6:42 PM

    @Brian Flavin: You appear to be suggesting that there were a significant number of XP systems within the HSE, do you have evidence of this or do you ‘just know’? While it’s certainly possible, it’s my understanding this would have been the exception rather than the rule.
    With regard to your other suggestion that the HSE upgrade to Apple desktops, give me strength… Have you actually given this much thought? Any thought? Would they be any more secure? Possibly, however there is a misconception that Apple computers are immune from viruses and hackers somehow don’t target them. This is untrue. There’s also the cost, they would be substantially more expensive than Windows based systems, and would probably require additional Apple compatible software purchases. Then, most staff would be used to and trained on Windows so would required training on Apples. All told, the complete cost of migrating from a Windows based infrastructure to that of Apple would be several times more expensive at a time when such things are being very closely examined and questioned more than ever.

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    Mute Mike Kelly
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    May 29th 2021, 8:00 PM

    @Brian Flavin: apple computers .. what are you on about !!!

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    Mute Amy Roddey
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    May 29th 2021, 10:22 PM

    @Mike Kelly: They are better and safer. Yes more expensive but encrypted and hardware lasts for a decade or more. More standardization in manufacturing. Also no real training needed, they are intuitive and make sense when you start using them. I never thought I would like Apple but I will never go back.

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    Mute Sean McCann
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    May 30th 2021, 1:39 PM

    @Amy Roddey: Good luck rolling out a new OS and application software to 100,000 people without real training. It’s usually what happens and then hilarity ensues in organisations as a result. Massive loss in productivity. Apple is not more inherently secure than Windows both require systems management to run properly and securely. Once you network computers they are vulnerable to attack. There’s a reason why Windows is dominant in the enterprise. It’s designed to work in that setting. Being able to use word on a Mac is not the same as managing thousands of systems that need to talk to eachother. I still have PTSD from having to work with Apple “servers”.

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    Mute Hugh Morris
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    Jun 1st 2021, 9:40 AM

    @Sean McCann: we can tell

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    Mute Ken Loughman
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    Jun 19th 2021, 11:38 PM

    @Jack Johnson: He’s deaf. Deaf people can have difficulty with their writing. Have some compassion!

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    Mute The Irish Bull
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    May 29th 2021, 4:31 PM

    420k a year for this? Pathetic what goes on in this country.

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    Mute Mentis Green
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    May 29th 2021, 6:37 PM

    @The Irish Bull: There is plenty of us that agree, it’s absolutely obscene what this man is being paid and for can only be described as total incompetence. These bureaucrat salaries need to capped at a reasonable level.

    Is it public record who applied for this position?.

    He was on the Fingal County Council, he has very little credentials that were gained late on and his main achievements seem to be that of a bureaucrat who helped negotiate pay cuts, irony abounds.

    He worked in the Public Expenditure and Reform department and was then given this job by the Public Appointment Service which smacks of in house & political pal corruption.

    For some perspective Simon Stevens starting salary when he took over the NHS was £189,900 an organisation many many times the size of the HSE.

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    Mute Ima Bored
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    May 29th 2021, 8:39 PM

    Windows 95 is the oprting system joice for the HSE. That surley is the reason they where hacked. HSE wouldn’t pay the money to upgrade

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    Mute The world outside the M50
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    May 29th 2021, 11:29 PM

    @Ima Bored: you know very little

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    Mute Darren
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    May 30th 2021, 7:21 PM

    Started in the Rotunda, who have no firewall as its IT security is not funded by the HSE. Wanted to spend their money on healthcare as youd expect. Fundamental problem with the HSE as all linked on to the same system. Fault lies squarely with the health minister and the make up of health care in Ireland

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