Ireland’s health system could be disrupted for days due to a hack.
Ireland’s health service shut down its IT systems on Friday after being targeted in a ransomware attack by what it called “international criminals.” Appointments and elective surgeries were canceled at several hospitals and Deputy Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said the disruption could last for days. “There’s lots we don’t know but it appears to be a ransomware attack by international criminals,” Varadkar said. “The problem could run through the weekend and into next week, unfortunately.” Ransomware attacks are typically carried out by criminal hackers who scramble data, paralyzing victims’ networks, and demand a large payment to decrypt it. Varadkar called the attack “very serious.” “It’s coming at a time when the health service is extremely busy doing lots of other things,” he said. “It’s going to be a very difficult time for the health service.” Health Service Executive CEO Paul Reid told broadcaster RTE that health bosses had “taken a precautionary measure to shut down a lot of our major systems to protect them.
