Pierluigi Paganini
March 16, 2025
A state in Micronesia, the state of Yap, suffered a ransomware attack, forcing the shutdown of all computers in its government health agency.
Yap is one of the four states of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), a Pacific island nation. It consists of four main islands and several atolls, located in the western Pacific Ocean. Yap is known for its traditional culture, stone money (rai stones), and diving spots with rich marine biodiversity. The state has a population of around 11,000 people, and its economy relies on subsistence farming, fishing, and some tourism.
On March 11, 2025, Yap’s Health Department detected a ransomware attack, shutting down its network and digital health systems to contain the threat. Officials published a security breach notification on Facebook, they announced that services continue but are slower.
“On March 11, 2025, at 3:00 PM Yap Department of Health Services IT unit detected a cyberattack ransomware on the network. In response, the whole network was taken offline. As a result, the Department now doesn’t have internet connectivity, and all computers are returned off to prevent further damage. DHS is working with the FSM Department of Health and Social Affairs and private IT contractors to assess the extent of the infiltration, determine what data has been breached, and to get services back online as soon as possible at the moment. Email communication through the health servers and all digital health systems are shut down.” reads the announcement. The Department reassured the public that services are continuing but asked for your patience and understanding as the services will be slower than before due to the disruptions. The Department will issue updates as the situation develops.”
Yap’s Health Department is investigating the incident with the help of other government agencies and external IT contractors. The department is working to resume the impacted systems and services.
No ransomware group has claimed responsibility for this attack.
This wasn’t the first attack that hit the Pacific islands; in the past Tonga, Vanuatu, and the Philippines were hit by ransomware attacks.
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