Health Ministry reassures patients after cyber breach targets file-sharing platform

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 15 — The Malaysian Health Ministry has assured the public that its essential services, including healthcare appointments and patient treatments, are unaffected and continuing as normal after a cybersecurity breach on Thursday (Nov 12). A statement released by the ministry on Facebook revealed that the incident was limited to unauthorized access to a file storage and sharing platform at one of its facilities.

The Health Ministry's Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT) found no encryption of the main databases during an initial investigation. To contain the incident, the ministry immediately blocked public access to the platform and implemented additional security measures such as password resets, server audits, and mandatory multi-factor authentication (MFA).

The Cyber Security Act 2024 (Act 854) obliges the ministry to collaborate with the National Cyber Security Agency (Nacsa) in addressing the incident and continuously monitoring for security breaches. The Health Ministry cautioned the public against downloading, possessing, or distributing official government documents obtained unlawfully, as this constitutes a serious offence and subject to legal action.

The ministry reiterated its commitment to maintaining the highest level of security for its IT infrastructure and protecting the confidentiality of the public's health data.