SINGAPORE: Hackers have stolen health records belonging to 1.5 millionSingaporeans, including Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong who was specificallytargeted in the city state’s biggest ever data breach, authorities saidFriday.
Singapore’s health and information ministries said a government databasewas broken into in a “deliberate, targeted and well-planned” strike,describing the attack as “unprecedented”.
“Attackers specifically and repeatedly targeted the personal particularsand outpatient information of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong,” healthminister Gan Kim Yong told a media conference.
Officials declined to elaborate on the identity of the hackers citing”operational security”.
Wealthy Singapore is hyper-connected and on a drive to digitise governmentdatabases and essential services.
While the city-state has some of the most advanced military weaponry in theregion, authorities have long warned of cyber breaches, with attackersranging from high-school students in their basements to criminals andstate-actors.
In 2017, hackers broke into a defence ministry database, stealing theinformation of some 850 army conscripts and ministry staff.