National Health Information System fully restored three weeks after cyber‑attack, says health minister.
Tonga’s National Health Information System, hacked over three weeks ago, has been restored, Health Minister Hon Dr ʻAna ʻAkauʻola announced on Friday.
Australia’s Cyber Rapid Response team returned home after recovering the system from backups, she confirmed.
Dr ʻAkauʻola told reporters: “we’re still working to get system back to what it was before it was hacked, to get all patient data secured.”
So far, only four patient records have appeared on the dark web. “We’ve been checking for hackers sharing information online and so far nothing more,” she said.
Health staff and Tonga’s Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) are continuing efforts to reinforce cybersecurity.
Police Minister Hon Paula Piukala highlighted broader vulnerabilities exposed by the hack. “There is a weakness in cross sector functionality,” he added. The flaw, he said, was not restricted to the Health Ministry but involves multiple government sectors who should be collaborating on resolving network security issues instead of leaving it to one organisation only.
Earlier reports confirm hackers demanded a US$1 million ransom, which the government refused to pay.
