Warnings were made about “weaknesses” in the Health Service Executive’s computer systems three years ago. Issues were identified with “security controls” and “disaster recovery protocols” by internal audits which were flagged in HSE annual reports for two years in a row. The Government has insisted no ransom will be paid to the criminal gang behind the attack, as the health service and the State’s cyber security apparatus continue to deal with the fallout of the incident. The 2019 annual report outlines the same measures being taken to manage weaknesses in the system and says that migration to a single-digital identity for staff “will continue to be rolled out during 2020/2021”. Microsoft no longer automatically protects Windows 7 machines from viruses but is offering updates to a security programme for such computers until 2023.

Source: The Irish Times May 20, 2021 02:03 UTC