The former Chief Executive of the HSE Tony O’Brien stated this week that the HSE’s expenditure on IT security is “about a quarter of what you would expect compared with other health systems. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) was given a budget last year of just €5 million. Compare that to the €16.9 million spent on PR by the just the Dept of the Taoiseach last year according to Aontu.
Peadar Tóibín accused the government of negligence in their duty of care for patients’ health and their data stating “the recent Cyber-attack on the HSE and the Department of Health are monstrous crimes. They are attacks on the most vulnerable within Irish society. Patients are already struggling with never-ending waiting lists, worsened by Covid and ongoing restrictions. But shockingly, on top of this, key life and death treatment is again put on hold due this odious criminal action.”
After the British NHS suffered a similar attack in 2017 it cost the British government £95 million directly but they also had to spend £210 million strengthening their Cyber-Security in the three years subsequent.
Tell us your thoughts in the Facebook post and share this with your friends.