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Defence Forces deployed 'ethical hackers' to fight back against massive HSE cyber attack

The CIS Corps deployed experts trained to think like cyber criminals to tackle the threat.

THE DEFENCE FORCES deployed the skills of so-called ‘ethical hackers’ in their bid to fight back against the HSE cyber attack of May this year. 

Ethical hackers are trained to effectively think like a cyber criminal and highlight flaws in a system’s structure. They’re typically tasked with highlighting weaknesses that need to be addressed in IT systems. 

Captain Steve Keane, an Officer in the Computer Response Team (CRT) of the Defence Forces Communications and Information Services Corps (CIS), has revealed for the first time the detailed work of the unit during the HSE crisis, which is still not yet fully resolved. 

In a podcast by the Defence Forces, Keane revealed how his unit were contacted immediately by the HSE and how they set about trying to find the hackers and analyse the virus.

“We had personnel who were analysing the malware – what does it do?” he said.

“They were also hunting for the threat actor, the adversary, on the network. [We were asking] is the person there? Is there a level of persistence where the network is brought back up and is there something nasty hiding in the corner and undoes all the work?”

Keane said that there were also military experts involved in testing a decryptor – a programme designed to retrieve infected data on HSE computers. 

He said that his team were working on the project with the health service “up until extremely recently”.

According to the latest update from the HSE, 82% of systems are now decrypted. The attack continues to affect various aspects of the service, but according to the latest official update on the ransomware attack there is currently “no evidence that large amounts of patient or staff data has been published online or sold to criminals involved in fraud”.

As the health system buckled under the pressure of the initial attack, Keane said the Defence Forces sprung into action immediately. 

While Keane didn’t comment on any specific measures, sources have told The Journal that soldiers attached to CIS were sent to hospitals and HSE offices to decrypt computers on site.

The captain said: “The Defence Forces, due to its flexible nature, were able to deploy very quickly. We were able to deploy nationally to a lot of locations in every corner of the country due to the amount of barracks and their locations so we were very flexible. 

“It was great to see all the different companies, all the different entities there. They were at the briefings and everyone saying ‘what can we do?’. It was a very positive experience.”

As previously reported by The Journal, significant questions have been raised by TDs and military sources about the impact of funding cuts on the CIS Corps.

Keane did not speak about the funding shortfall in the Defence Forces affecting its ability to respond but defended his unit’s capability.  

“The quality of people we have, we don’t have a lot of personnel – as with every organisation you are crying out for more but the people we do have, the skills they have, are exceptional.”

Keane was asked during the interview what was the future for the CIS Corps and he said that the need for the unit was only going to grow. 

“It is only going to get bigger, it has to get bigger. It is recognised by the European Defence Agency, by NATO, by any credible force that the nature of conflict has changed.

Using a term often deployed by military experts to refer to traditional warfare he said: “You don’t just have kinetic conflict, from now on, it will be proceeded by a cyber effect.”

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39 Comments
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    Mute Tweety McTweeter
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    Mar 4th 2015, 7:17 PM

    So none of the users are under 18?!

    691
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    Mute The Raven
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    Mar 4th 2015, 7:27 PM

    Abandon all hope ye who enter here.

    137
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    Mute Richard Cynical
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    Mar 4th 2015, 7:30 PM

    Ha hahahahaha ha deep breath hahahahaha hahahahaha. Nail on the head tweety

    132
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    Mute thejournaltroll
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    Mar 4th 2015, 8:00 PM

    Probably a large number of people clustered around the “just turned 18″ group, representing all of those aged 12 and upwards.

    135
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    Mute thejournaltroll
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    Mar 4th 2015, 8:50 PM

    The “18 yr olds” (ahem!) are finished after 20 secs

    124
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    Mute Ger O'Brien
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    Mar 4th 2015, 7:24 PM

    A lot of that 9 minute 16 seconds must be made up of looking for the ‘one’ to watch. Or else we’re quick and greedy and going for a sneaky second!

    196
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    Mute The Raven
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    Mar 4th 2015, 7:31 PM

    “It is necessity and not pleasure that compels us”

    83
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    Mute Glen
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    Mar 4th 2015, 7:17 PM

    I knew I forgot to do something today !

    167
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    Mute Steve Wright
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    Mar 4th 2015, 7:34 PM

    This report sponsored by kleenex

    175
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    Mute Al Beebak
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    Mar 4th 2015, 8:19 PM

    I was cracking one off over PornHub the other day and all of a sudden my Mum walks in.

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    290
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    Mute Joe
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    Mar 4th 2015, 10:08 PM

    How do they know the ages? Is it not a free site.

    60
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    Mute Sergeant Yates
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    Mar 4th 2015, 10:10 PM

    Worried?

    40
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    Mute Aaron Kavanagh
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    Mar 5th 2015, 1:43 AM

    “Is it not a free site?”

    As if you don’t already know!

    31
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    Mute Tony Canning
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    Mar 4th 2015, 7:33 PM

    Does that guy in the picture have a third arm or something????

    161
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    Mute The Raven
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    Mar 4th 2015, 7:36 PM

    I believe the the computer device is an interactive model.

    41
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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Mar 4th 2015, 11:18 PM

    An USB dildo I think lol.

    14
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    Mute Bill Jones
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    Mar 4th 2015, 7:35 PM

    Xhamster is much better.

    83
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    Mute Thomas Maher
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    Mar 4th 2015, 8:39 PM

    I’ve never heard of this site!!!!!!
    I shall research it in detail and report my findings post haste!

    81
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    Mute Dermot Lane
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    Mar 4th 2015, 9:49 PM

    Post haste? You must be 18 then

    28
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    Mute Thomas Maher
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    Mar 4th 2015, 9:54 PM

    18′s an all too distant memory Dermot

    28
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    Mute Saul Goodman
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    Mar 4th 2015, 7:57 PM

    The average user spends 9 minutes and 16 seconds per visit, yeap, that sounds about right in the following steps, surf around, select 2-3 videos, browse quickly, select “the video”, if no suitable video is found, search a favourite, engage, pause, go to journal.ie.

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    Mute thejournaltroll
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    Mar 4th 2015, 8:02 PM

    My thumbs feel dirty now that I am replying to commenters who recently visited pornhub before “coming” here

    67
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    Mute The Raven
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    Mar 4th 2015, 8:28 PM

    Sounds like a sticky situation.

    52
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    Mute Meehawwl O' Buachailla
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    Mar 4th 2015, 7:33 PM

    Phew! I’m 47 and they seem to have omitted me from their stats.

    61
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    Mute #COYBIB
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    Mar 4th 2015, 8:27 PM

    “The over-65 group spend the longest, over 10 minutes”

    Well, they gotta wait for the tablet to kick in, innit?

    57
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    Mute Dermot Lane
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    Mar 4th 2015, 9:50 PM

    Tablet? The ipad or the Viagra?

    54
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    Mute Ann O'reilly
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    Mar 4th 2015, 9:56 PM

    Neither, it takes them 10 mins to figure out they have logged on to the wrong site and its not the daniel o’donnell fanclub , or the joe duffy page on the rte website !

    36
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    Mute Mike Clinton
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    Mar 4th 2015, 8:47 PM

    Why do they have twitter and Facebook share options…
    I’m quite sure you wouldn’t want to broadcast that your having a one in the bed sex romp..
    Mind you though,what a frape :)

    56
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    Mute Charles J. Ahern
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    Mar 4th 2015, 7:29 PM

    Half the age plus seven …

    55
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    Mute The Raven
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    Mar 4th 2015, 7:27 PM

    9 mins 16secs eh? i bet sasha grey could do it in under 5 mins..easy.

    53
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    Mute Eamon Mac Gowan
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    Mar 4th 2015, 8:30 PM

    It’s a wonder that the Immigrant Council and “Turn off the red light”, aren’t trying to stop us from watching porn.

    42
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    Mute The Raven
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    Mar 4th 2015, 8:34 PM

    Saying ‘us’ makes me a little uncomfortable.

    33
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    Mute Eamon Mac Gowan
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    Mar 4th 2015, 10:23 PM

    @The Raven,
    Do you really expect me to believe that you’ve never watched porn?

    23
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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Mar 4th 2015, 11:16 PM

    Some adult porn is still illegal here amongst adults, sounds bad me saying that…

    7
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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Mar 4th 2015, 11:17 PM

    Someone please hit me for saying that, bad joke lol.

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    Mute Patrick Fitzgerald
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    Mar 4th 2015, 11:23 PM

    that survey is a load of w*nk

    19
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    Mute Jim Boland
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    Mar 5th 2015, 12:38 AM

    At least the viris they catch on them site’s, won’t kill them

    11
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    Mute Seán O'Sullivan
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    Mar 5th 2015, 3:52 AM

    Cant complain , pornhub has a decent gay section. But there are better sites for all mwahaha Xhamster Myvidster

    10
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    Mute greg
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    Mar 5th 2015, 4:05 PM

    Lol 9min on AVERAGE for a wank not bad!!

    8
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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Mar 4th 2015, 11:13 PM

    I have invented a computer screen wiper for watchers of any porn site, you just clip it on and let it work away and USB vibrators lol.

    7
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    Mute Rock Stoneballs
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    Mar 5th 2015, 12:57 PM

    9 minutes and 16 seconds? What are the at for the nine minutes?!

    6
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    Mute Barry Glynn
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    Mar 5th 2015, 2:48 PM

    Wxxkers

    4
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    Mute Kevin Hickey
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    Mar 5th 2015, 4:53 AM

    Pornhub is nowhere as good as mushroom tube

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    Mute Seán O'Sullivan
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    Mar 6th 2015, 1:05 AM

    apparently lots of lads cant deal with the presence of gay porn near their sacred straight porn so maybe they’d be glad of the tip

    1
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    Mute Sean Mathews
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    Mar 5th 2015, 11:30 AM

    it just takes the over 60s a few more seconds, almost a minute, to prepare and release the one eyed monster

    3
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    Mute Sean Mathews
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    Mar 5th 2015, 11:31 AM

    The one eyed monster with the dribbly eye

    3
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    Mute Pinky Kumari
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    1
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