Hackers broke into a government database and stole the health records of 1.5 million Singaporeans, including Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong who was specifically targeted in the “unprecedented” hack, the government has said.

“We have done a detailed analysis of this attack and have determined that it is the work of an advanced persistent threat (APT) group,” Minister for Communications and Information S. Iswaran said Monday.

“This refers to a class of sophisticated cyber attackers typically state-linked who conduct extended, carefully planned cyber campaigns to steal information or disrupt operations,” he told parliament, which discussed the issue.

Iswaran said the APT group “was persistent in its efforts to penetrate and anchor itself on the network, bypass the security measures and illegally access and exfiltrate data”.

While the attack fitted the profile of “certain known APT groups”, Iswaran said he would not publicly give any names for reasons of national security.

Hackers used a computer infected with malware to gain access to the database between June 27 and July 4 before administrators spotted “unusual activity”, authorities have said.

The compromised data includes personal information and medication dispensed to patients, but medical records and clinical notes have not been affected, according to the authorities.

Security experts had also earlier pointed to state-actors as the likely culprit, citing the scale and sophistication of the hack.

Healthcare data is of particular interest to hackers because it can be used to blackmail people in positions of power, Jeff Middleton, chief executive of cybersecurity consultancy Lantium, told AFP last month.

Medical information, like personal data, can also be easily monetised on criminal forums, said Sanjay Aurora, Asia Pacific managing director of Darktrace, a cyber security firm.

Iswaran, who is also the minister in charge of cyber security, has convened a committee of inquiry to look into the hack.

“We will do our utmost to strengthen our cyber security. But it is impossible to completely eliminate the risk of another cyber attack,” he said.

“This is an ongoing battle with potential cyber attackers who are constantly developing their capabilities and seeking out new vulnerabilities.”

Iswaran said the attack will not derail the affluent and highly-wired city-state’s ambitions to become a “smart nation” through the extensive use of technology in daily activities and transactions.

“Never say never, but I pretty well concluded that this would be it for me in terms of acting, and (I’ll) move towards retirement after this ’cause I’ve been doing it since I was 21,” he told Entertainment Weekly.

“I thought, well, that’s enough. And why not go out with something that’s very upbeat and positive?” he added.

In “The Old Man & The Gun,” directed by David Lowery, the Californian star plays Forrest Tucker, the real-life career criminal who robs banks and escapes prison.

“To me, that was a wonderful character to play at this point in my life,” he told Entertainment Weekly. Tucker’s crime spree lasted more than 60 years. Redford began his own acting career in the 1960s.

He co-stars with Sissy Spacek and the film will be released in the United States on September 28.

But asked if his prospective retirement would extend to directing, Redford was tight lipped. “We’ll see about that,” he said.

Redford won an Academy Award in 1981 for best director for “Ordinary People” and has a string of other directing credits, including the critically claimed “A River Runs Through It” and “Quiz Show”.

As an actor, he remains best known for his break-out role in “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” as well as “The Sting” and “All the President’s Men.”

Redford also founded the Sundance Institute in Utah for aspiring filmmakers and its annual film festival is one of the most influential in the world.

Construction workers found the weapons last month when they excavated the grounds of Tanashi Elementary School in the city of Nishitokyo in metropolitan Tokyo to build a new storehouse.

The weapons included 1,400 firearms, 1,200 swords, eight grenades and 302 bullets.

“We were totally surprised to be informed about the discovery,” said Masaki Fujisawa, a city official. “The items are all rusted away and nothing can be used anymore.”

“I suspect they were buried during or after the war but we will investigate the case,” Fujisawa told AFP.

News reports said the weapons may have been discarded after Japan surrendered in 1945.

Unexploded bombs and weapons are still occasionally found in Japan, more than 70 years after the conflict ended.

“I thank the Lombok authorities, the police and others who assisted the Australian delegations and who are working with us in ensuring that assistance are being provided to those in need,” Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said in Bali on Monday.

Dutton was in Lombok to attend the Sub Regional Meeting on Counterterrorism along with Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto.

Wiranto also announced on Sunday evening that all members of the delegation were safe.

“We decided to postpone the meeting because of the earthquake and encourage delegates to return to their respective home countries immediately,” he said.

The delegates were having dinner at a restaurant on the 12^th floor of their hotel when the earthquake struck. The two-day counterterrorism meeting was scheduled to take place on Sunday and Monday.

Meanwhile, Bishop was in Bali to attend the Bali Process international forum and moderate a discussion on people smuggling, human trafficking and related transnational crimes.

She added that no Australian casualties or serious injuries were reported following the earthquake, which claimed at least 82 lives.

Despite the incident, Bishop believed that Australians would continue visiting Lombok and neighboring islands like Bali because they are “very popular tourist destinations for Australians”.

“This is an emergency situation [because] many passengers are coming; hence [the airport] will operate for 24 hours,” said Lombok International Airport general manager I Ngurah Ardita in Lombok on Monday.

As reported by Antara, the airport was crowded with visitors, mostly foreigners, on Monday afternoon. Long lines of passengers could be seen at the ticketing and check-in counters.

I Ngurah Ardita said the airport was currently filled with passengers seeking to depart from Lombok. Some of them had already bought tickets days before, but there were also some who were looking to purchase tickets at the location. The majority of the travelers are reportedly going to Bali, Surabaya and Jakarta.

Laura, a tourist from Canada, decided to come home sooner than planned by purchasing a flight ticket via Singapore following the earthquake. Similar to the other tourists and locals, she was panicking after the quake devastated the island of Lombok on Sunday.

She married her beau, known only as Azzam, on Friday morning. Sadly, Fatin Nursyahirah succumbed to cancer early the next day.

She had been suffering from stage four sarcoma cancer.

Shukur Yusuf, 30, who documented his sister’s wedding on Facebook, said Fatin was admitted to hospital after Friday prayers when her breathing deteriorated.

image: https://content.thestar.com.my/smg/settag/name=lotame/tags=Int_Entertainment,all

When contacted by mStar Online, Shukur said his 24-year-old sister, affectionately known as Kakak (big sister), had undergone two surgeries and radiotherapy sessions since last year.

But the cancer had already spread.

“She was inconsolable. I tried to encourage her even when I was crying myself,” he said, adding it was his sister’s dying wish to go on with the wedding.

Azzam and Fatin were engaged in June last year, and Shukur said both of their families agreed to go on with the wedding despite Fatin’s condition.

“We were very moved by Azzam and his family’s sincerity who accepted an ailing person to be part of their lives.

“After the solemnisation ceremony, we felt grateful and relieved that they were able to be united as husband and wife, even if it would just be for a short while,” he said, adding his sister looked beautiful during the ceremony.

He also wrote in his post that the simple ceremony was attended by family members, witnesses and the kadi.

Shukur said his family has accepted Fatin’s passing as part of God’s plan.

“She was a happy-go-lucky person. But she would keep her problems to herself as she never wanted to trouble anyone. That was Kakak,” he said.

On Tuesday, the Korea Disaster Relief Team will depart for the Southeast Asian country hit by floods, which were triggered by a dam collapse on July 23. The team consists of 15 medical personnel and seven other support staff and will help treat displaced residents and prevent the spread of contagious diseases.

On Sunday, the Seoul government offered to the provincial government in Attapeu, southern Laos, some 2,200 blankets, 4,500 towels and other materials as part of the $500,000 support program it has pledged for the flood victims.

However, it is important to stay calm during such an incident. The following are earthquake safety tips according to the Indonesian Red Cross and Palang Merah Indonesia (PMI), as reported by kompas.com.

At home

If the ground starts shaking when you are at home, try to save yourself and family members by hiding under a table. This helps to protect your body from falling objects.

Cover your head with a helmet, a pillow or your hands.

Outdoor

If you are outdoors, protect your head and go to an open area. Stay calm and wait as the first earthquake is frequently followed by aftershocks.

Shopping centers or public places

If you happen to be in a shopping center or any other public place, remain calm. Do not use the elevator during an earthquake or fire. Find the emergency exit or fire escape and go to an open area.

Follow the rescue team’s instruction.

Inside a car

If you are a passenger inside a car, keep your seat belt fastened and hold onto a stable object tightly, such as a handle. This helps to keep you still if the car stops suddenly.

Ask the driver to slow down and stop the car, then move to an open area.

Mountain or beach

Earthquakes can cause landslides. If you happen to be on a mountain when an earthquake occurs, move to an open area away from the slope.

Furthermore, earthquakes can also cause tsunamis. Those who are on the beach during earthquakes are recommended to find higher ground.

Read also: Indonesia quake kills 82, leaves hundreds wounded

After the earthquake

Once you feel the ground has stopped shaking, you can do the following:

1. Those who stay inside the house are recommended to go to an open area once the earthquake stops.

2. Check for injuries and attend to them. If possible, help other people around you.

3. Adults are suggested to turn off gas or stoves to prevent gas leaks.

4. Do not light a fire as a gas leak can cause an explosion.

Before the earthquake

It is also important to prepare for earthquakes by learning about your surroundings. The following are several tips to prepare yourself for an earthquake:

1. When you are entering a building, it is recommended to find out where the emergency exits are located.

2. When you are inside a building, find a safe location, such as under a strong table, to protect yourself when an earthquake occurs. Make sure it is far from a large mirror, hanging objects, bookshelves or windows.

3. Earthquakes can happen anytime. It is recommended to make your room as safe as possible by not hanging objects above your bed.

4. Keep Indonesian emergency numbers, such as the police ( 110 ), ambulance (118 and 119), National Search and Rescue ( 115 ) and fire station (113 or 1131).