HSE cyber-attack: Hackers bail out Irish health service for free

Hackers responsible for causing widespread disruption to the Irish health system have unexpectedly gifted it with the tool to help it recover.

The Conti ransomware group was reportedly asking the health service for $20m (£14m) to restore services after the "catastrophic hack".

It was unclear why the hackers gave the tool - known as a decryption key - for free, said Health Minister Stephen Donnelly.

"No ransom has been paid by this government directly, indirectly, through any third party or any other way. Nor will any such ransom be paid," he told Irish broadcaster RTÉ.

"It came as a surprise to us. Our technical team are currently testing the tool. The initial responses are positive."

In one case, criminals accidentally took a hospital offline; reports suggest the hackers gave the hospital a decryptor for free when they realised their mistake.

Then again, there are ransomware operators who don't care and are presumably delighted to watch chaos unfold as they extort money from their victims.

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