On November 3, 2023, Synapxe, the national healthcare IT provider, announced that the web service outages experienced by public hospitals and polyclinics on November 1 were the result of a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack. This type of cyberattack floods servers with excessive internet traffic, preventing legitimate users from accessing online services.

The ongoing attacks have resulted in “occasional disruptions” to internet services, according to Synapxe. The IT provider stated that they are actively collaborating with relevant parties to defend against the attacks and expedite recovery processes. Investigations by Synapxe and the Cyber Security Agency are also currently underway.

Importantly, Synapxe clarified that no ransom demands had been made concerning the Wednesday attack. The organization highlighted its “layered defense” approach, designed to detect and respond to cyber threats, including DDoS attacks. This strategy incorporates system backups and services that block abnormal surges in internet traffic before they reach the public healthcare network.

Despite these measures, an unusual surge in network traffic detected at 9:15 am on Wednesday bypassed the blocking service, overwhelming Synapxe’s firewall. As a result, all websites and internet-dependent services became inaccessible. Once the cause was determined, Synapxe coordinated with its service providers to combat the attack, progressively restoring web services from 4:30 pm onward.

The attack did not compromise healthcare data, internal networks, or patient care, as confirmed by the IT provider. However, between 9:20 am and 4:30 pm on Wednesday, various public healthcare institutions—including public hospitals, polyclinics, and the Institute of Mental Health—experienced a complete outage of services requiring internet connectivity. During this period, they lost access to websites, emails, and internal productivity tools for staff.

Major hospitals impacted by the disruption included Singapore General Hospital, National University Hospital, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, and Changi General Hospital. Fortunately, patient records remained accessible, and clinical services were not affected, as noted by some hospitals in Facebook posts that day.

The incident serves as a crucial reminder of the increasing prevalence of DDoS attacks and the evolving methods employed by attackers. Synapxe acknowledged that while DDoS attacks cannot be entirely prevented, their defenses must continuously adapt to keep pace with advancements in cyber threats.