The National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) experienced a significant disruption in all its internal and external IT systems due to an attempted ransomware attack by an unidentified actor over the past weekend, reported News24 (26 June 2024).
“The cyberattack has caused significant damage to the NHLS IT infrastructure. Sections of the system have been deleted, including in the backup server, and this will require rebuilding the affected parts.
“NHLS CEO Prof Koleka Mlisana confirmed that all systems remain inaccessible while efforts to secure and repair the environment are underway. The NHLS operates an extensive network of laboratories critical for public health sector testing, analysing samples of body fluids, tissue, and cells to detect, diagnose, and treat diseases such as AIDS and tuberculosis.”
According to preliminary reports patient information has not been compromised.