HSE boss unaware of further cyberattack ransom demands
The HSE's primary focus regarding the ransomware attack is to restore its systems and ensure patients do not suffer any longer than necessary, according to chief executive Paul Reid. Picture: Sasko Lazarov/Photocall
The head of the HSE has said he does not know whether the criminal gang behind a crippling cyberattack has made further requests for ransoms based on patient data.
Paul Reid said the primary focus is to restore HSE operating systems to ensure patients do not have to suffer longer than necessary:
"We have been focused on the restoration of systems. It’s in the hands of the intelligence agencies after that.”
Asked whether he would know if a ransom payment had been made, he said: “Not necessarily. We handed that investigation across to State agencies and the National Cyber Security Centre.”
Patients attending hospitals and some community services continue to be affected by the delays caused by the cyberattack.
At the University of Limerick Hospitals Group, work is continuing to gradually restore outpatient services, day cases, inpatient surgery, and endoscopy treatments. Patients will be contacted if their procedure is going ahead.
A spokesman for the hospital group said: “Over 10,000 outpatient appointments, operations, and investigations were cancelled across the six hospitals in the first three weeks following the cyberattack.”
The HSE has asked anyone applying for a new medical card to post in their forms as the online system remains down.
A spokeswoman said: “We have set a target of having internet services up and running by Sunday.”
Staff were still being advised to bring their own devices to local hubs to be restored and reconnected to the systems.
Meanwhile, a capacity review at the National Cyber Security Centre was not yet complete, a Government spokesman said.
The centre is one of the agencies tackling the cyberattack, but there was widespread concern that the terms and conditions for the role of agency director were insufficient to attract appropriate candidates.
Ossian Smyth, junior public procurement and eGovernment minister, has said the salary is €106,000 to €127,000, and denied widespread reports of a salary set at €89,000.
A spokesman said: “The approach to filling the new role of director, including terms and conditions, will be determined in the context of the outcome of the capacity review.
“Minister Smyth has recently said that he envisages a higher salary will be offered to attract a suitable candidate.”
Cybersecurity recruitment expert Bláthnaid Carolan recommended a much higher salary to the Oireachtas committee on communications last month.
She said a basic salary ranging between €200,000 and €290,000 a year should be offered.
Meanwhile, the Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau continues to investigate the cyberattack.
So far, only one release was confirmed by the HSE at the end of May, involving sensitive data from about 520 patients, minutes of HSE meetings, and other correspondence with patients.
However, a Garda spokesman said they are unable to say whether new data has been released.
He said they do not “provide comment on the detail of this international co-operation or matters of national or international security".
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