NHS still on XP? Say it ain't so.

[Rogerborg]

Al Beeb claims 90% of NHS computers are running XP.

Out of support for three years.

But hey, it's the national health service. Who would target that? And what's the worst that could happen?

The interesting part is that MS seems to have blinked and rolled out a patch for XP (and Server 2003). Isn't that just enabling a shut-in by bringing food to its room?
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[bugeye_bob]

So.

[NJD]

It ain't so.

I win.
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The do it all, T̶h̶e̶ ̶b̶r̶o̶k̶e̶n̶ ̶o̶n̶e̶,̶ ̶T̶h̶e̶ ̶b̶i̶g̶ ̶l̶u̶m̶p̶,̶ ̶C̶h̶o̶n̶g̶ ̶N̶o̶o̶d̶l̶e̶

[owl]

Believe they were paying about £5million a year for extended support to Microsoft, although that was a few years ago and may have lapsed since.

Know a couple of contractors who work for NHS and unsurprisingly they admit the whole thing is a joke.
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Observation is the greatest source of wisdom.

[carvell]

[M.C]

I thought there was a work-around for XP, as they still updated WEI. We had a security meeting at work with a copper who was running a laptop with XP and internet explorer

[ScaredyCat]

[The Shaggy D.A.]

This week I decommissioned two servers, one NT4 and another Windows 2000, for our trust. Not only do the NHS have old systems, it was not that long ago that we stopped the users from having local admin privileges.

We weren't hit by the OMGWTFCYBERATTAK!!!, but we were hit by the knee jerk headless chicken board members demanding to shut everything down and go into siege mode. I'd already halted external email before we'd learned more, but no, they wanted "the internet turned off".

Monday is going to be interesting.
____________________
Chances are quite high you are not in my Monkeysphere, and I don't care about you. Don't take it personally.
Currently : Royal Enfield 350 Meteor
Previously : CB100N > CB250RS > XJ900F > GT550 > GPZ750R/1000RX > AJS M16 > R100RT > Bullet 500 > CB500 > LS650P > Bullet Electra X & YBR125 > Bullet 350 "Superstar" & YBR125 Custom > Royal Enfield Classic 500 Despatch Limited Edition (28 of 200) & CB Two-Fifty Nighthawk > ER5

[CaNsA]

"XP systems are patched in the SMB1-doublepulsar vuln if their user followed the (simple) instructions provided here by El Reg reader(s) a couple of weeks ago."

Source:- https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/05/13/wannacrypt_ransomware_worm/

[Rogerborg]

^^^
Karma will be spunked after my refractory period.

[CaNsA]

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/may/13/accidental-hero-finds-kill-switch-to-stop-spread-of-ransomware-cyber-attack

[Rogerborg]

[Kawasaki Jimbo]

All part of government policy to deliberately misspend and cutback so the NHS look like an anachronism and a joke. Ultimately they'll tell a weary public, "It's not working, let's give it to private (and probably foreign) companies," to which the hoped for reply will be, "We suppose you're right."

[M.C]

I thought the contractor who was meant to be upgrading the systems abandoned the project?

You have to wonder what the cost of keeping it all running/vs upgrading must be.

[Rogerborg]

I'm guessing it looked like less (personal) risk to keep it grinding along than for anyone to make a decision to change it.

As oft noted, this will continue until someone is held personally responsibly and suffers the consequences - and I don't mean a golden parachute kicking in.
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[ScaredyCat]

18th April 2014, Private Eye:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/4g4d7vgc0z9dlu6/wonxp.jpg?raw=1
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Honda CBF125 ➝ NC700X
Honda CBF125 ↳ Speed Triple

[Ste]

Only 90%?

Fake news makes baby Jesus cry..

[Islander]

They paid for extended support on XP but the current government withdrew the funding for it. Our local NHS is currently upgrading its desktops to 7, although the last time I was at the dental surgery, they were using XP to manage their x-ray stuff and workstations. They're claiming 4% of systems remain at that level but I doubt they're even close.

As an information security professional, I have some very grave doubts about the NHS' overall security posture. It's improving (in Scotland at least) but I was told by one of their technical specialists that the reason they weren't connecting into the PSN (Public Services Network) was because they couldn't meet the requirements of the code of connection. I certainly wouldn't permit an unmediated connection from the local NHS into our network - I treat them exactly the same as a citizen wanting access.

[M.C]

So that'll give them an extra 3 years support?

[Andy_Pagin]

In every company...

IT "We need to replace our Windows XP machines"
Bean Counters "Why"
IT "because they're a massive security risk"
Bean Counters "What will it cost"
IT "Over a quid"
....
IT "Hello, you still there?
...
IT "Hello..., well don't say we didn't warn you, fuck it, pub time"
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They're coming to take me away, ho-ho, hee-hee, ha-haaa, hey-hey,
the men in white coats are coming to take me away.
Yamaha Vity -> YBR125 -> FZS600 Fazer -> FZ1-S Fazer

[-]

[CaNsA]

[mab]

I currently work for the NHS. Have been to almost every ward in the trust I work in.

I have never seen a XP computer in use, all the computers are running 7

Our systems were not affected by the Ransomware but the national systems being down affected us

[mentalboy]

It was only 4 years ago (so not expecting much to have changed since then) that I had to give a statement at my local Devon and Cornwall Police station. I had a good old laugh with the copper who was typing my statement on a keyboard on which half the letters had worn off the buttons and was even more gobsmacked to learn that they were running NT...
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Make mine a Corona.

[Skudd]

This is what pisses me off about IT fuckery. If I spend £200 on something I don't want it to be obsolete in a year just because another version has come out. I want it to last as long as I want it to. I mean the information to and from my PC goes down a cable that has been in place for over 40 years.
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Famous last words of Humpty Dumpty. " Stop pushing me "
Petty Anarchists look at "1984".............. The Visionary looks at "Animal Farm".