Tonga Ministry of Health paralyzed by ransomware attack
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The Kingdom of Tonga's Ministry of Health is reporting a ransomware attack that has completely disabled the country's National Health Information System (NHIS), forcing all four national hospitals to revert to manual operations and leaving approximately 100,000 residents without access to digital medical records.
The cyberattack was discovered on June 15, 2025. The health minister reported that an unnamed ransomware group is demanding millions of U.S. dollars to restore system access. The attack has completely encrypted the NHIS, rendering the entire digital healthcare infrastructure inoperable and forcing medical staff to rely on paper-based processes they had largely abandoned since the system went live in 2021.
The potentially compromised data encompasses the complete medical history of Tonga's population - approximately 100,000 individuals. The compromised data includes:
- Patient medical records and complete medical histories
- Prescription information and medication data
- Health risk assessments and medical evaluations
- Future treatment plans and patient care strategies
- Hospital registration and patient identification data
The Polynesian nation engaged international cybersecurity assistance. Australia's cyber-security team arrived in Tonga yesterday after an appeal via the Australian High Commission, supporting local staff overwhelmed by the crisis. The Australian specialists are working alongside local IT administrators to assess the damage and explore recovery options without paying the ransom demand.
