Can patients hang on while the workers reboot, reinstall and sometimes pay ransom?
OVER THE PAST month or so we've published a number of articles about the damage caused by Microsoft and by Windows inside hospitals, estimating the death toll to be worse than that of COVID-19 (but over a much longer period of time). There are some press articles about it, albeit many poorly-researched ones that misplace blame, and one more such article was added to our latest Daily Links. Almost every day there are ransomware incidents; thousands of Windows-running hospitals all around the world are impacted. Also small clinics are impacted. The damage is immeasurable and it's typically easy to identify Windows as the culprit. How many pieces of software out there have back doors in them and NSA tools crafted for remote access -- tools that are later leaked to the Internet?
"The idea is to shift attention away from Microsoft back doors and intimate connections between Bill Gates and high-profile pedophiles."ZDNet and other Microsoft propaganda networks are trying to divert attention to mythical Linux "back doors". They did it again last week. Facts don't matter to these people; they also defamed Richard Stallman. The idea is to shift attention away from Microsoft back doors and intimate connections between Bill Gates and high-profile pedophiles.
We're privileged to have heard and collected stories about what Windows did in (or to) hospitals. I too shared some of my experiences, to the degree I'm permitted.
"Miraculously," one source once told us, "my clinic in the hospital seems to have been spared."
"A number of screenshots were sent to us prove the allegations we heard and then studied."The source told us that the whole hospital (pretty much) was nonoperational after Windows computers had been breached, impacting everything from the back end to the front end. People were dying and access to medical records was denied (except by the crackers, who got their own copies of those). It was a nightmare scenario, but who's keeping count? When people die from COVID-19 there are all sorts of "Internet bodycounts/death clocks" (like this one), but nobody keeps track of people who die in a hospital and outside a hospital because of Windows back doors, failures, ransomware, expired licences and so on. Never mind the cost Microsoft imposes on clinics, denying investment in more important and life-saving things like respirators and ventilators (critical at this time).
A number of screenshots were sent to us prove the allegations we heard and then studied. We cannot share them here as they can help identity sources, places, nature of incident and so on. We'll keep things as vague as necessary to protect sources.
As is widely known, Microsoft often works -- and sells licences -- through vendors and channels. They, in turn, promote and defend Microsoft. It's like a religion. They're told they're part of a "family" albeit it's more like a cult and they'll never ever blame Microsoft.
"As is widely known, Microsoft often works -- and sells licences -- through vendors and channels."The vendor in the particular hospital we learned about is "also a Microsoft tool," we were told, "but nothing unusual has happened here, other than a very strange chat I had with an intruder..."
The screenshots show mouse movements and a conversation with a text editor. Remote desktop...
Just lovely...
It's like having a hospital remotely controlled from another site...
Another country as well?
Just the hallmark of security -- exactly what inspires confidence in your practitioner and practice. With all your medical data on it...
"It's like having a hospital remotely controlled from another site...""Despite that," the source said, "our patients are being treated and we have all of their records on a local server and on paper."
This is considered the exception. We learned from others that even medical records had become inaccessible. It's close to impossible to operate without these.
"To get Internet," we learned, "our IT guy routed the office subnets through one of the doctor's private cable box. It's painfully slow, the Microsoft mail server seems broken, and we can't talk to other parts of the hospital."
We've safely/securely kept copies of some evidence. ⬆
