Ireland’s Health Service Executive (HSE) was recently the victim of a ransomware attack that took some services offline temporarily as the organization attempted to mitigate any further risks. The HSE has now stated that it does not plan on paying ransom despite struggling to restore its IT systems. HSE has confirmed that the attackers requested a ransom, however, the exact amount remains unclear. HSE stated that the type of malware used in the attack appears to be a variant of the Conti virus not familiar to its security providers.
The attack against HSE has been described as the most significant case of cybercrime against the Irish State by senior government officials. The Prime Minister of Ireland Micheál Martin has declared that paying off the gang was not in alignment with Ireland’s policies and laws. Key services across the country have been affected as a result of the attack, particularly outpatient services, x-ray appointments, and laboratory services. Patients have also experienced a delay in receiving Covid-19 test results.
Read More: ‘We won’t pay ransom,’ says Ireland after attack on health service
