NHS Hospitals hit by massive cyber attack

[user1491572121]

www.theguardian.com/society/2017/may/12/hospitals-across-england-hit-by-large-scale-cyber-attack?CMP=fb_gu

So the American security agency invented this hack? Can they help to fix it?

Ds3 & I spent the night in hospital, on the children's ward. I knew from Twitter that the hospital systems were down, but I wouldn't have known otherwise. Incredibly calm & professional staff. The first hint I had from them this morning was when they told me his discharge letter would have to be handwritten.

A stupid user can bring down a network.
In which case systems need to be designed so that a 'stupid user' cannot bring them down. Not everyone is a computer geek and understand how these things work.

If any of you are running most any version of windows hit on the start button go to control panel and then find updates and see if the machine is updated or ask to search for updates and run that then you should be protected against such malware.

If you haven't got an anti virus the one from Microsoft called Security Essentials is quite good and it s free. But check for updates and patches often.

Terrible.

In Chicago med this was one of the story lines, its fictional but it showed how badly the hacking affected the Department.

nissan cyberattack

In which case systems need to be designed so that a 'stupid user' cannot bring them down. Not everyone is a computer geek and understand how these things work.

Oh I agree, the blame lies on the IT staff (speaking from someone within the field), the legacy systems should have been air gapped, but unfortunately most ransom ware etc is targeted at the front end user.

This is a strain on the linux worm that was produced by NSA and was leaked in the Vault7 stuff, the problem is that it was the IT bods who where shouting how everyone should take note, but was met with the usual "I've done nothing wrong, so I have nothing to fear" response.

If only the Tories had paid the money for support www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nhs-cyber-attack-jeremy-hunt-tories-accused-ignoring-extensive-warning-signs-outdated-computers-a7734961.html

In which case systems need to be designed so that a 'stupid user' cannot bring them down.

Hmmmm.

I have wanted an ability - possibly a backend setting - which makes it impossible to send an email with more that in the "To:" list since 1998.

www.theregister.co.uk/2016/11/14/nhs_email_test_reply_all_fail_1_2_million_users/

Not sure why I am still waiting ...

And in my experience, the moment an idiot-proof feature means a big cheese can't do what they want then it goes.

The only way to have a totally secure system is to let no-one on it.

As soon as you have logins and passwords, someone can give theirs away. Any email immediately has a risk of "clicking a link that is actually a virus page", and ability to save to disk or usb stick opens to the door to someone using a usb stick or disk with a virus on it from whatever other machines its been in.

You dont have to be a "computer geek" to have a basic level of awareness around these things, the biggest security risk in any system is always the users.

Our GP today is only dealing with urgent cases because of this.

I won't get the letters of support that I needed for my PIP tribunal, the Consultants that wrote them are out of the Country. One of them has gone back out to wherever because he's a leading doctor in Elboa and there's been cases again.

They need to be submitted by a certain date.

So I can't complain, really, because they both go to the worse hit regions for major disease outbreaks, but it would have got me my award and for me that would have been life changing.

As soon as you have logins and passwords, someone can give theirs away.

Which is why people should demand two-factor authentication, where you need an additional code (ideally from a hardware device) to complete a login. Certainly from their bank, and anywhere holding critical information. It makes it that much harder to hijack accounts.

Given that I was using it in 2007, it's hardly "new".

"If only the Tories had paid the money for support"

Each trust has had 7 years to get sorted for replacing XP. A blanket extension of maintenance was a terrible waste of money. Nothing was stopping each trust to arrange it's own extended maintenance.

They didn't because they didn't have the money.

Each trust has had 7 years to get sorted for replacing XP. A blanket extension of maintenance was a terrible waste of money. Nothing was stopping each trust to arrange it's own extended maintenance.

Exactly, this is not a political argument, as is usual in IT, its a money pit until something like this happens then its the IT departments fault it did happen.

However inept the IT departments have been, there would have been people mentioning things, the fact that certain trusts didn't apply a patch is not solely a "evil tory" issue either.

Interesting reading!

www.theregister.co.uk/2016/12/08/windows_xp_nhs_still/

www.theregister.co.uk/2017/05/16/microsoft_stockpiling_flaws_too/