Ransomware attack is reduced by the health system network in micronesia

One of the four states from which the Pacific nation of micronesia is composed is fighting ransomware hackers, which have forced all computers used by the state health authority.

On Wednesday, the Ministry of Health Services warned the 12,000 inhabitants of the island for the state of YAP that ransomware attack hit its systems on March 11.

“In response to this, the entire network was taken offline. As a result, the department has no internet connectivity and all computers are returned to prevent further damage, ”said civil servants in a message on social media.

The department works with private IT contractors and other government agencies to make services online again, to determine the extent of the infiltration and find out which data has been violated.

“The e -mail communication via health servers and all digital health systems are closed,” said the department in its explanation. “The department assured the public that the services are continued, but about their patience and their understanding, since the services will be slower than before due to the disorders.”

Micronesia has a total population of more than 100,000 people in the states of Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae, which include more than 600 islands.

The island of Yap is located north of Palau and south of Guam – both have made headlines for important cyber attacks and ransomware incidents in the past few months that affected state services. The Palaus Ministry of Health announced a ransomware attack two weeks ago.

No hacking group recognized the attack on YAP on Thursday. Micronesia would be the latest of several Pacific Islands affected by ransomware, including Vanuatu, Tonga and the Philippines.

Ransomware attacks continue to work on government agencies worldwide, whereby groups are aimed at smaller governments that are usually lacking resources for defending extensive networks.

Learn more.