Hong Kong Department of Health Data Breach (2018)

Hong Kong’s Department of Health has become the latest victim of a cyberattack after three of its computers were hit by ransomware which left data inaccessible, prompting police to open a criminal investigation. The targeted computers belonged to the department’s Infection Control Branch, Clinical Genetic Service and Drug Office and were infiltrated in the two weeks since July 15. “Files stored on the computers were encrypted by ransomware, and an email address to contact for a decryption key was left behind, but no ransom was demanded,” a department spokeswoman said.