In a recent incident, the state of Micronesia faced a cyber attack by extortionists that crippled the computer network of the local Ministry of Health. The hackers infiltrated the system on March 11, prompting authorities to shut down the entire network as a security measure, with all computers being powered off to prevent further damage.
Residents of the state of Jap, with a population of around 12,000 people, raised concerns as the Department of Health lost access to the Internet and various digital medical systems and email servers became unavailable. Despite assurances from authorities that medical services are still being offered, the pace of operations has significantly slowed down due to the disruptions caused by the attack.
The affected department is now working closely with private IT contractors and government agencies to restore the network, determine the extent of the hackers’ infiltration, and assess the scope of any data breaches. As of now, no specific group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Micronesia, comprising four states – Jap, Chuuk, Pohnpei, and Kosrae – spread across more than 600 islands, has been previously targeted in cyber attacks. In recent years, there has been a surge in such incidents in the region, with the Ministry of Finance in Palau falling victim to hackers in 2024, and a series of cyber attacks hitting various Pacific islands in 2023, including Tonga, New Caledonia, and Vanuatu.
Extortionists are increasingly targeting smaller states like Micronesia, which have limited resources to safeguard their network infrastructure. This vulnerability exposes them to modern hacking techniques aimed at extorting money and compromising valuable data.