The Irish attack was blamed on international criminals and was said to be targeting healthcare records, but officials said patient safety was not at risk. Another ransomware attack last Friday forced the shutdown of the United States' largest fuel distribution system, leading to some panic buying at gasoline stations along the east coast. Hospital chief Fergal Malone said the attack had targeted computers storing patient records. The HSE said the attack was an adaptation of ransomware known as 'Conti', in which hackers have already compromised a computer system and lie low until springing their trap. In 2017, the United States and Britain blamed North Korea for the 'WannaCry' ransomware attack that infected some 300,000 computers in 150 countries, including one-third of British hospitals.

Source: The Nation May 14, 2021 13:06 UTC