Verified Decryption Tool, Debenhams Workers and Home Vacation

Cyber ​​attack data

Gardaí said it was “likely” that personal records or data allegedly released as a result of a cyberattack on the health service was genuine.

On Friday evening, An Garda Síochána urged those suspected of being victims of the recent cyberattack on HSE to report to their local Garda station.

Meanwhile, the decryption key offered to the HSE following last week’s attack has been verified as genuine following a review by cybersecurity experts and the National Cybersecurity Center (NCSC).

However, despite its operation, it is unlikely to significantly speed up recovery of healthcare IT systems as it has been described as “buggy” and “faulty”.

The gang behind the healthcare attack still threatens to share and sell information on the darknet, including personal patient data, if a ransom is not paid.

Debenhams workers

The battle of former Debenhams workers for a better layoff deal is over.

Former workers voted yesterday to accept a € 3 million upscale fund after 400 days of protests.

They are asking the government to put in place measures to protect workers who lose their jobs.

Vacation at home

A roadmap for the return of international travel could be ready next week, Tourism Minister Catherine Martin said.

It comes as Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has said the state hopes to sign up for the EU’s digital green certificate “as soon as possible.”

Ms Martin was speaking at the launch of Fáilte Ireland’s Keep Discovering campaign, a € 4 million marketing campaign aimed at rebuilding the national tourism industry.

Tourism in rural Ireland is expected to thrive this summer, but cities will suffer, Fáilte Ireland said as Ireland prepares for another summer of stays.

Law courts

A 66-year-old grandmother was jailed over the weekend for her repeated contempt for refusing to wear a mask – not only in stores but in court.

Meanwhile, a 29-year-old man charged with the murder of mother-of-two Jennie Poole, who died after being stabbed at her home in Dublin last month, has been remanded in custody again for four weeks.

Finally, Belfast High Court learned that TV presenter Dr Christian Jessen ‘had built a reality that didn’t exist’ during a series of podcasts he produced during the lockdown.

Northern Ireland’s Prime Minister Arlene Foster is suing the notorious doctor for libel over a tweet he posted baseless claiming she was having an extramarital affair.

Latest Covid News

524 other cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed by the national public health emergency team.

The country’s chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said the team of health experts was “concerned” about a variant of the coronavirus first identified in India.

At a press briefing on Friday afternoon, Nphet confirmed that the number of cases of the variant identified in Ireland has now risen to 72 and warned that this could have an impact on further easing restrictions.

It comes as an expert from the World Health Organization (WHO) believes Ireland will have to re-impose regional restrictions because of the variant.

Vaccine deployment

People aged 47 or older can sign up for a Covid-19 vaccine starting today, while the portal will open more over the weekend for people aged 46 and 45.

Pfizer will start producing for the first time a key ingredient for its Covid-19 vaccine at an Irish plant, the Grange Castle plant in west Dublin “contributing to the global supply” of the vaccine.

The European Union has consolidated its support for Pfizer / BioNTech and its new vaccine technology by agreeing to a massive contract extension for a potential of 1.8 billion doses until 2023.

The jab developed by the companies is expected to be up to 75% effective against a variant of the coronavirus first detected in India.