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No reports of Northern Ireland systems being targeted in worldwide cyber-attack, say police

The PSNI has said there is "currently no suggestion" that computer systems in Northern Ireland have been targeted in the cyber-attack
The PSNI has said there is "currently no suggestion" that computer systems in Northern Ireland have been targeted in the cyber-attack The PSNI has said there is "currently no suggestion" that computer systems in Northern Ireland have been targeted in the cyber-attack

THE PSNI have said they are "liaising closely" with the UK government in a bid to minimise risks to IT systems in Northern Ireland amid fears of a new cyber-attack.

Around 60 NHS organisations in England and Scotland had their services disrupted following an attack on Friday in which computers were locked by a program demanding payment, leading to ambulances being diverted and operations cancelled.

The head of Europol, Rob Wainwright, said that the Ransomware cyber-attack had affected more than 200,000 people in 150 countries.

The PSNI said it was "liaising closely" with government representatives and other partners to "put in place mechanisms to mitigate the risk" but stressed there had been no reports of systems in NI being targeted.

Detective Chief Inspector Douglas Grant, Head of the PSNI's Cyber Crime Centre, said: "While there is currently no suggestion that systems within NI have been targeted, we remain conscious that we must act to ensure the integrity of cyber networks and take appropriate action to reduce the threat posed by cyber criminals.

"Do not open emails from unknown sources or containing suspicious links or attachments.

"Ensure that all computers on your network are fully updated with the latest 'patches'. A ‘patch’ is a piece of software designed to update a computer program or its supporting data, to fix or improve it. This includes fixing security vulnerabilities."

Detective Inspector Grant added: "We would also recommend that businesses and industries join the local Cyber Information Sharing Partnership (CISP) so they can receive the most up to date threat and mitigation information to help protect their cyber security."

Anyone concerned that they may be a victim of a cyber-attack is asked to contact police on 101, through the Cyber Crime reporting portal on the PSNI website or by calling Action Fraud on 0300 1232040.