Ransomware attack takes down health system network in Micronesia

One of the four states that make up the Pacific nation of Micronesia is battling against ransomware hackers who have forced all of the computers used by its government health agency offline.

On Wednesday, the Department of Health Services for the state of Yap warned the island’s 12,000 residents that a ransomware attack hit its systems on March 11. 

“In response, the whole network was taken offline. As a result, the Department now doesn’t have internet connectivity, and all computers are returned off to prevent further damage,” officials said in a message on social media.  

The department is working with private IT contractors and other government agencies to get services back online, determine the extent of the infiltration and figure out what data has been breached.

“Email communication through the health servers and all digital health systems are shut down,” the department said in its statement. “The Department reassured the public that services are continuing but asked for your patience and understanding as the services will be slower than before due to the disruptions.”

Micronesia has a total population of more than 100,000 people spread across the states of Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae — which comprise more than 600 islands. 

The island of Yap is north of Palau and south of Guam — both of which have drawn headlines in recent months for significant cyberattacks and ransomware incidents that impacted government services. Palau’s health ministry announced a ransomware attack just two weeks ago.

No hacking group has taken credit for the attack on Yap as of Thursday. Micronesia would be the latest of several Pacific islands impacted by ransomware, including Vanuatu, Tonga and the Philippines. 

Ransomware attacks continue to impact government agencies globally, with groups specifically targeting smaller governments that typically lack the resources to defend sprawling networks.