Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 November 2019
568. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health if his Department and the HSE have a plan in place to protect themselves in the event of a malware attack or security risks as a result of the failure to upgrade computers from an operating system (details supplied) in his Department and agencies under his remit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44702/19]
View answerAs part of our HQ move in 2018, my Department updated its standard operating system to Windows 10.
There are currently only 4 devices using the Windows 7 operating system. Two of these are virtual machines running within Windows 10 devices. The other two devices, required for our telephony switch, are not connected to my Department's network.
My Department is actively engaging to replace the Windows 7 clients in question before the operating system reaches end of support.
In addition to this, my Department implements a multi-layered approach to cyber security and to protecting our ICT systems, data and infrastructure. This includes preventative controls like firewalls, anti-virus and endpoint protection alongside an advanced network intrusion detection system. Software vulnerabilities are managed by maintaining up-to-date versions.
As this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy.
