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 software experts to unlock IT systems disabled by human-operated ransomware that attacked Health Service Executive (HSE) systems. This comes amid reports that cybercriminals h threatened to make patient data public, next week prompting Ireland's Health Service Executive (HSE) to shut down its networks totally, which obstructed diagstic services.

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

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

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

Decryption tool may 'unlock systems'

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

Ireland’s Taoiseach Micheál Martin anunced at a presser that Ireland will t pay any ransom to hackers that compromised data and hacked into state’s health services systems. Minister of State for Communications Ossian Smyth similarly told reporters that 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.