According to Bloomberg News, a ransomware cyberattack has targeted Papua New Guinea's government finance office, and the hackers are demanding bitcoin. While many details of the attack are still unknown, it's becoming clear that ransomware attacks will no longer be limited to the world's wealthiest countries and organizations.
The attack on the Department of Finance's Integrated Financial Management System began a week ago, according to John Pundari, the finance minister and interim treasurer. Attackers disabled the system, which controls access to hundreds of millions of dollars in international aid funds, and demanded Bitcoin as ransom from PNG. The government did not pay a ransom to any hacker or third party, according to Pundari, who also stated that the system had been "completely restored."
"The government and the people of Papua New Guinea can be assured that the government financial services will continue as usual," Pundari said in a statement. "The Department (of Finance) is conscious of the security and integrity of its data. Therefore restoration of services to all government agencies, including the sub-national level, will be done gradually, so as not to compromise or allow any further spread of this malware or other virus."
PNG's cyber security settings are susceptible, therefore it had to rely on its development partners for help. However, a data center established in PNG by Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei exposed classified government papers to theft, according to an Australian-funded investigation commissioned by PNG's National Cyber Security Centre in 2020.
According to Jonathan Pryke, director of the Lowy Institute's Pacific Islands Program in Sydney, PNG's financial constraints have precluded it from developing a viable cybersecurity environment. He said the government's systems were so vulnerable that it would have to start again with a secure network, which would cost a lot of money. He also stated that cyber security was not on the top of the PNG priority list.
To top it off, Papua New Guinea has been dealing with some of its worst covid-19 surges to date in recent weeks. According to Australia's ABC News, the country is presently averaging roughly 388 cases each day, which is largely regarded to be an undercount of the true number due to poor testing. Covid-19 vaccines have also been a challenge for the Pacific nation, with a poor 1.2 percent immunization rate so far.
