Ransomware highlights the challenges and subtleties of cybersecurity
Governments want to defend themselves—and attack others
FOR THE past month Ireland’s health-care system has been in disarray. On May 14th the Health Service Executive (HSE), the state-funded health-care provider, was hit by a “ransomware” attack which led it to shut down most of its computer systems. The attackers threatened to release stolen data, including confidential patient records, unless the HSE stumped up $20m (€16.5m). It declined to do so. Its staff were reintroduced to pen and paper, its procedures delayed, its patients inconvenienced. By June 14th services had still not returned to normal.
This article appeared in the Briefing section of the print edition under the headline “Over there in the shadows”
From the June 19th 2021 edition
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