“It is to be emphasised that the Government has not paid a ransom and will not pay a ransom in respect of this crime. Other cybersecurity professionals who spoke to The Irish Times had examined and tested the decryption tool and they believed it was genuine. German policeThe decryption tool was sent by the gang after German police contacted the gang and explained to it that it was attacking a hospital, not a university. However, on Thursday the gang offered a decryption tool to the HSE, though it maintained its threat to publish the documents and/or sell them to other criminals unless the ransom was paid. “We are providing the decryption tool for your network for free,” the latest messages sent on Thursday said.

Source: The Irish Times May 20, 2021 17:03 UTC