Palau officials told Recorded Future News that the February 17 ransomware attack launched by hackers connected to a group named Qilin allowed the infiltrators to steal files from IT systems used by the Ministry of Health and Human Services (MHHS). The country’s government was targeted during another ransomware incident in April 2024 by actors claiming to be part of several different cybercriminal groups, leading officials and experts to theorize that the attack was cover for an attempted disruption by Chinese government hackers. After emerging in late 2022, the Qilin ransomware gang has been responsible for multiple healthcare-related attacks, including a major incident last year that disrupted NHS hospitals in London and potentially exposed the information of a million people. Government officials isolated the incident and were able to return hospital operations to normal within 48 hours thanks to help from Palauan and Australian cybersecurity IT experts as well as officials from the Ministry of Finance. The health ministry of the Pacific island nation of Palau has recovered from a ransomware attack launched by a gang known for targeting prominent healthcare institutions. In a statement, the Health Ministry confirmed that patient data was compromised as result of the cyberattack and may include billing summaries for Belau National Hospital patients between from 2018 to 2022. Qilin actors threatened to release the data they stole but Palau officials said no attempt to negotiate a ransom was made and there was no other direct communication beyond the note.
This Cyber News was published on therecord.media. Publication date: Mon, 03 Mar 2025 22:15:12 +0000