Singapore PM's heath-record hacked, along with records of 1.5mn Singaporeans
What's the story
Hackers have stolen health records belonging to 1.5mn Singaporeans, including PM Lee Hsien Loong, who was specifically targeted in Singapore's biggest ever data breach, authorities said today. Singapore's health and information ministries said a government database was broken into in a "deliberate, targeted and well-planned" strike, describing the attack as "unprecedented". Officials declined to elaborate on the identity of the hackers citing operational security.
Cyber breaches
Singapore have been long warned of cyber breaches
Wealthy Singapore is hyper-connected and on a drive to digitize government databases and essential services. While the city-state has some of the most advanced military weaponry in the region, authorities have long warned of cyber breaches, with attackers ranging from high-school students to criminals and state-actors. In 2017, hackers broke into a defense ministry database, stealing the information of some 850 army conscripts.