S. Urbanavičius: We plan to install an electronic health backup database this year

“We are currently waiting for the team. If that unfortunate pipeline had not been overlooked and we had managed to implement this project, then neither the medical institutions, people nor other clients would have felt such an incident in terms of services,” explained the head of the Center. Records.

S.Urbanavičius also stated that the institution has been looking for new facilities since the beginning of its management in mid-2018, but the processes are not progressing rapidly.

“The processes are not fast, they are long-term solutions, long-term problems, we need to coordinate them with the government and obtain their approval. Alternative premises have been sought from the beginning. It is only necessary to understand that the state does not have so many suitable premises to choose in Vilnius ”, he commented.

The registries have backup databases, which were established during this incident, started working, unfortunately e-health doesn’t have it, that’s why there were so many problems, S. Urbanavičius said.

After the rain in Vilnius, the server of the Registration Center was filled on Monday night due to a broken pipe. This has altered many of the systems managed by the institution.

Although most of them, according to the Records Center, are already operational, most problems still arise when restoring the electronic health system.

Without electronic health, medical institutions cannot upload electronic documents, issue electronic prescriptions, perform other functions of electronic health services, patients with electronic signatures cannot purchase medications for them in pharmacies, pharmacies cannot dispense medications to patients.

– In recent days, the public sphere is full of surprises, criticism, and observations that the state is paying increasing attention to cyber security, guarding against attacks from hostile countries, and here the company’s strategic data systems They can be closed by a simple summer rain. How do you evaluate the current situation?

– Of course, no. But we should talk about the fact that we understand the importance of data security and business continuity. It’s hard to talk about why these things haven’t been done before. But the new team realized that we immediately started that work some time ago. We had planned to have an electronic health backup database for such cases later this year. We are currently awaiting team. If that unfortunate pipeline had not been overlooked and we had managed to implement this project, then neither the medical institutions, people nor other clients would have felt such an incident in terms of services.

– You just don’t have a backup database in the Registration Center?

– We have another location, the registries have backup databases, which were established during this incident, began to work, unfortunately, e-health does not have it, that’s why there were so many problems. I just want to point out that the backup database project was halfway there, we would have implemented it by the end of the year.

If we are talking about data copies, we have them, the data is not lost, the data is safe. As for e-health and other records.

– And what about the team itself? How much did you lose due to the flooded server?

– Yes, the team will be lost, but now it is very difficult to say how much we lost. Both insurance and experts should be evaluated, tested and calculated. We still have questions about warranty service, insurance events. Of course, there will be losses because water and technology are incompatible.

The data is not lost, the data is safe. As for e-health and other records.

– Is there a chance that eHealth won’t reset at all?

– I think we will restore it. The data transfer phase was successful, but we still need to test, maybe when you start the system there will be unforeseen things that need to be fixed, but we will restore it. It is now difficult to predict when this will occur.

– What are your next steps to make restored services work?

– We will use the incoming equipment, which was supposed to act as a backup database, as the original database, and we will have to order the backup again. In the meantime, we have temporary solutions, we will ask the supplier to send the purchased equipment faster.

– These temporary solutions do not represent a risk for data security?

– No.

– How many people are currently dealing with this crisis? You mentioned that external help is also used, can you say who?

– Infrastructure specialists, programmers, job testers. How much work right now, I can’t tell. In total, our information technology center has around one hundred people. Most apparently work, which can bring benefits. People will work there as much as necessary. Thank you very much. As for external assistance, we receive it under certain contractual obligations, in particular after-sales service.

– What has the Registry Center done so far to ensure the security of your systems?

– First of all, we have to talk about making copies of data, not one, but several, and making them use different technologies. Of course, the infrastructure was put in order. Yes, in this case it is not fully organized when it comes to eHealth, but when it comes to other registrations, it is done. As you know, technology is aging, it needs to be updated, it is constantly being done.

– IT experts point out that to ensure business continuity and protect against such situations, you had to prepare for them, test systems, simulate possible failures. Was made?

– With other registries, systems that have backup databases, this has been done and is natural. But when there is no backup database, you just can’t do it.

– You said on Tuesday that the server room is on the ground floor, in addition, the building itself is installed on a slope and is constantly rinsed with water during the rain. Do you think the location of the building itself is suitable for such premises?

– Not at all, but the data center at these facilities was established 15 years ago. At that time, such decisions were made, at that time they may have been appropriate, because it was actually established there in accordance with the requirements at that time, protecting against floods, from fires. But it should be understood that 15 years is a sufficient period of time. Now there is a busy street nearby, and it is currently being built nearby, which of course has an impact. We will ask the government for help with other premises.

– In the last two years, you have been the head of the Records Center, have you not considered changing your facilities?

– We have considered, but the processes are not fast, they are long-term solutions, long-term problems, we need to coordinate them with the Government and obtain their approval. Alternative premises have been sought from the beginning. It is only necessary to understand that the state does not have as many suitable premises options in Vilnius.

In the long term, all actions are planned to leave these facilities and guarantee even greater security, avoiding external risks. We can’t really be between two streets, we can’t be in the courtyard of a house. This requires choosing premises, choosing a location, but here we already need the help of the Government. We expect quick solutions from the Government, because the company itself does not have the opportunity to order, buy, build buildings.

– Specialists from the Ministry of National Defense offer to store servers in state data centers. How do you rate this offer?

– This is one of the alternatives, one of the possible options, but the current public data centers are in their infancy and we are probably too big for them. Other scenarios should be considered, such as the possibility of purchasing a commercial service, subject to the adoption of the necessary legislation. But we need faster solutions here, we cannot live like this, that is why we started those processes, those works.

– Do they provide the public with all the information about the incident? At first he mentioned and emphasized that only the electronic health system does not work, it soon became clear that notaries cannot connect to the systems they need, then we found out about the inoperative electronic signature. Are you open and provide reliable information without trying to keep anything secret?

– We are really open and we don’t want to hide or hide anything. As much as our specialists communicated when systems revived, so much we said. Maybe we still didn’t know certain things. I can assure you that we are doing everything possible to restore eHealth.

– Whose responsibility is this incident and the situation in general?

– I see my responsibility for that because I am a manager. The manager is responsible for everything. Probably because of old things, because of other people’s mistakes, not made. But with this team that is here, we saw the problem, we solved it, and we plan to implement it by the end of the year. I am also responsible for the lack of a pipe and a crack in the wall.

– Thank you for the interview.