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

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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  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by frojack on Monday October 30 2017, @07:31AM

    by frojack (1554) on Monday October 30 2017, @07:31AM (#589364) Journal

    Doesn't change the fact that N Korea has nothing to gain by hacking the UK's NHS.

    You hack where you can, where its easy. Where people are unprepared. You don't even know your targets, and you certainly don't pick them

    You don't set out to hack any specific place.

    You accept any low hanging fruit that comes your way.

    The NHS apparently hired people with your mind set. No doubt graduates of the Alfred E Newman school of network security.

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