Ireland's Health Ministry was the target of an attempted cyber attack, the Irish government said on Sunday, days after a similar strike on the country's health service.
"The National Cyber Security Centre became aware on Thursday of an attempted cyber attack on the Department of Health," the government said.
It said "some functions" of the department's IT system had been suspended "as a precautionary measure".
"This attempted attack remains under investigation, however there are indications that this was a ransomware attack similar to that which has affected the [Public Health Service] HSE," the government said.
The cyber attack on HSE, which its chief Paul Reid described to public broadcaster RTE as an "international criminal operation", forced the Irish health service to shut down its computer systems.
Non-urgent appointments were cancelled but the country's Covid-19 vaccination campaign was not affected.
Attacks using ransomware, a form of malicious software that encrypts a victim's files, have been on the rise in recent years.
After the attacker has control of the computer system, they demand a ransom from the victim to restore access to the data.
On Wednesday, Britain's Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab called for an international coalition to address the growing threat from states and criminal groups that launch cyber attacks on democracies, implicating Russia, China, Iran and North Korea.
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
The years Ramadan fell in May
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Hili 2: Unesco World Heritage site
The site is part of the Hili archaeological park in Al Ain. Excavations there have proved the existence of the earliest known agricultural communities in modern-day UAE. Some date to the Bronze Age but Hili 2 is an Iron Age site. The Iron Age witnessed the development of the falaj, a network of channels that funnelled water from natural springs in the area. Wells allowed settlements to be established, but falaj meant they could grow and thrive. Unesco, the UN's cultural body, awarded Al Ain's sites - including Hili 2 - world heritage status in 2011. Now the most recent dig at the site has revealed even more about the skilled people that lived and worked there.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
