Singapore health database compromised 1.5 million records stolen including PM

Singapore has faced a ferocious cyber-attack which has compromised the data of 1.5 million people including the Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Singapore calls it the most serious breach of personal data.

The country which is considered highly digitalized state which has made the cybersecurity a top priority for Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) bloc and itself has been hijacked in a recent cyber-attack.

The government said, “Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) and Integrated Health Information System (IHiS) carried out investigation and came to the conclusion that this was a deliberate, well targeted, well planned and executed cyberattack.”

Health Ministry and the Ministry of Communications and Information jointly said, “This was not an ordinary attempt by ordinary people or hackers or a gang of hackers.”

The statement also indicates that the Singapore government is hiding some big revelations, it could be another country or a political group, the statement infers.

According to the details as reported by Reuters, data of some 1.5 million patients who visited the clinics between May 2015 to July 4 this year, was illegally accessed and stolen illegally including their non-medical personal details.

Furthermore, the hackers have repeatedly targeted the Prime Minister’s personal details and information on his dispensed medication, it said.

The Ministry of Communications said in a statement that a committee will be formed for a detailed inquiry and immediate measures would be taken to strengthen the government systems and databases against such cyber attacks.

However, the Ministry of Communications and CSA has not provided any details or concerns about which entity or individuals could have been behind the attack and what their purpose could be.

But, Prime Minister Lee in a Facebook post said, the cyber attack was not accidental, and he did not know what personal information about him hackers were exactly looking for.

However, my medical data is not something I will publicly share, but there was nothing even alarming in that, he added.