Ireland tests 'decryption key' to safeguard health systems after ransomware attack

Ireland on Thursday said that it was testing a decryption tool that will help the software experts to unlock IT systems disabled by human-operated ransomware that attacked the Health Service Executive (HSE) systems. This comes amid reports that cybercriminals had threatened to make the patient data public, next week prompting Ireland's Health Service Executive (HSE) to shut down its networks totally, which obstructed diagnostic services.

According to local broadcaster The Irish Times, experts at the National Cyber Security Centre were working with private contractors to examine the Health IT systems for the safe restoration of medical services. HSE chief executive, Paul Reid, told the network that the teams were trying to determine “what level of data is compromised” in the ransomware attack.

The HSE is attempting to secure backups for the compromised data from its IT systems, which has curtailed Ireland’s hospital services, Reid informed. He continued, that the IT experts will “rebuild” the infrastructure as he cited threats from the international cybercriminal groups behind the cyberattacks that are attempting “double extortion” by threatening the government of leaking the data as well withholding the hacked data.

Also, the Conti ransomware group behind the attack asked the health service to pay $20m to restore services, according to the screenshots of the chats that circulated online on Irish social media.  "We are providing the decryption tool for your network for free,” the hacked website read. It was also strange why the attackers decided to release a decryption tool for free. 

Decryption tool may 'unlock systems'

In a separate statement to RTE, HSE officials said that they were trying to retrieve the compromised data “in a safe manner one by one.” He said that the cyberattack was carried out by the highest level of the intelligence forces of the State and was conducted in an advanced and sophisticated manner. A decryption tool may unlock the systems for access to HSE officials, authorities said, adding that the ransomware infection of computers has caused some malicious software to bar government access. 

Ireland’s Taoiseach Micheál Martin announced at a presser that Ireland will not pay any ransom to hackers that compromised the data and hacked into the state’s health services systems. Minister of State for Communications Ossian Smyth similarly told reporters that the hackers sought a bitcoin ransom Health Service Executive (HSE) computer systems were attacked. It is one of Ireland’s most significant cybercrime attacks, ever, said Smyth.