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UK Blames North Korea for WannaCry Attacks, Says NHS Didn't Follow Cybersecurity Guidelines

posted by Fnord666 on Sunday October 29 2017, @10:07PM   
from the security-by-closed-eyes dept.

takyon writes:

UK blames North Korea for WannaCry attacks

The United Kingdom released its final report Friday on the WannaCry ransomware attacks that caused mass disruption in its hospital system, with a U.K. official saying the country believes the attacks originated in North Korea.

"This attack, we believe quite strongly that it came from a foreign state," Ben Wallace, a junior minister for security, told BBC 4 Radio, adding that the government was "as sure as possible" that nation was North Korea.

NHS 'could have prevented' WannaCry ransomware attack

The report said NHS trusts had not acted on critical alerts from NHS Digital and a warning from the Department of Health and the Cabinet Office in 2014 to patch or migrate away from vulnerable older software.

The Department of Health also lacked important information, the report said. "Before 12 May 2017, the department had no formal mechanism for assessing whether NHS organisations had complied with its advice and guidance."

Organisations could also have better managed their computers' firewalls - but in many cases they did not, it said.

NHS organisations have not reported any cases of harm to patients or of their data being stolen as a result of WannaCry.

Also at NPR.

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Original Submission

• Re:Today's convenient excuse Re:Today's convenient excuse (Score: 2) by takyon on Monday October 30 2017, @01:46AM (1 child)

  by takyon (881) <{takyon} {at} {soylentnews.org}> on Monday October 30 2017, @01:46AM (#589294) Journal

  Yeah, we hear you, you're skeptical and a cynic like everyone else here. Just don't let it cloud your vision.

  North Korean Hack of U.S. War Plans Shows Off Cyber Skills [bloomberg.com]
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_in_North_Korea#Hackers [wikipedia.org]
  In North Korea, Hackers Are a Handpicked, Pampered Elite [soylentnews.org]
  North Korea 'Hacks South's Military Cyber Command' [soylentnews.org]
  South Korean Government Report Suggests North Koreans Hack for Cash, Not Secrets [soylentnews.org]
  New US Sanctions for North Korea Following Sony Hack [soylentnews.org]

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  [SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]

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• Re:Today's convenient excuse (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 30 2017, @11:09AM

  by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 30 2017, @11:09AM (#589401)

  The hack of military stuff is believable but the other stuff and wannacry? All that "evidence" has just been from the US Gov or other non-credible sources.

  http://www.businessinsider.com/north-korea-sony-hack-2016-6/ [businessinsider.com]

  Much of the evidence pointing toward North Korea has come via statements from government officials or the FBI, but neither have offered hard evidence. And that has led security professionals to still doubt the country's role in the attacks, with Thomas among them.

  Just like the claims that NK was behind the Bangladesh Bank hack. It's just as likely or more that some Filipino hackers did it - the money went to a bank in Philippines and then vanished into their casinos:

  http://fortune.com/2016/12/13/swift-bangladesh-2/ [fortune.com]

  In early February, the unidentified hackers used the SWIFT network to send fake orders requesting the transfer of nearly $1 billion from Bangladesh Bank’s account at the New York Fed.

  Many of the transfer orders were blocked or reversed, but, after a series of oversights and miscommunications, the New York Fed ultimately sent $81 million to four fake accounts in a branch of RCBC.

  Most of the funds then disappeared into Manila’s loosely regulated casino industry.

  The US Gov has lied so many times about such stuff why believe them on this? They're not a credible witness at all.

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