Personal data belonging to approximately 140,000 work pass holders was compromised in a cybersecurity incident affecting healthcare provider Fullerton Health, CNA reported on Saturday (Nov 14).
The breach hit a server supporting the Ministry of Manpower (MOM)-administered Migrant Worker Primary Care Plan (PCP) programme, according to AsiaOne. Of the total affected records, roughly 43,000 belonged to individuals whose work passes were no longer valid, CNA reported.
“No health, medical or personal financial information was compromised in the incident,” Fullerton Health stated in response to queries from CNA.
Preliminary investigations showed that the exposed information included workers’ full names, Foreign Identification Numbers (FIN), dates of birth, mobile numbers, email addresses, and residential addresses, as detailed by CNA. The healthcare provider initially announced it became aware of the unauthorised access on Oct 31, according to a Nov 9 notice on its website cited by The Straits Times.
Investigation and Security Response
Following the discovery, Fullerton Health promptly isolated the affected server supporting the PCP programme and implemented precautionary network measures, CNA reported. The company’s security monitoring provider, Logicalis, conducted a preliminary probe and found no evidence of abnormalities or security breaches across other monitored Fullerton Health IT assets, according to CNA.
Fullerton Health server hit by cyberattack; personal data of migrant workers affected https://t.co/4y65geJN4U
As part of remediation efforts, the company is building an entirely new server with built-in security measures to serve as the new PCP Enrolment Portal, ensuring the compromised server is never reused, CNA reported. “Fullerton Health employs a defence-in-depth security strategy, incorporating multiple layers of controls to safeguard our assets and data,” Fullerton Health added, as reported by AsiaOne.
Singapore’s Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) said that preliminary information indicates opportunistic attacks exploiting common IT system vulnerabilities, with no apparent link to other recent data breach incidents, according to UA.NEWS. Fullerton Health confirmed it notified the PDPC, lodged a police report, and remained in contact with the Ministry of Manpower.
Employers and Ministry of Manpower notify affected migrant workers
Affected migrant workers have received two rounds of notifications through their employers, CNA reported. In addition, the Ministry of Manpower reached out directly to impacted individuals using the FWMOMCare mobile application for migrant workers, according to CNA.
Fullerton Health said that these mobile application notifications were provided in the workers’ native languages to ensure they understood the situation and the necessary precautionary steps. The company advised workers to exercise caution when responding to unsolicited emails, phone calls, text messages, or other communications requesting personal information.
What data was exposed in the Fullerton Health incident?
What types of data were exposed in the Fullerton Health incident?
The exposed data included workers’ full names, Foreign Identification Numbers (FIN), dates of birth, mobile numbers, email addresses, and residential addresses, according to CNA. Fullerton Health confirmed that no medical records, health information, or personal financial details were involved.
Which healthcare program was affected by the cyber breach?
The incident involved a standalone server supporting the Migrant Worker Primary Care Plan (PCP) programme, which is administered by the Ministry of Manpower, as reported by AsiaOne. The scheme provides accessible primary healthcare to eligible work permit and S Pass holders in sectors such as construction and marine shipyards.
Fullerton Health cyberattack may have exposed migrant workers’ personal details, with the number affected unknown. https://t.co/AprVziWxxF
How are affected workers being notified about the breach?
Fullerton Health has completed two rounds of notifications through employers, while the Ministry of Manpower has directly notified affected workers in their native languages via the FWMOMCare mobile application, CNA reported.
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