The Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) of Panama has confirmed that a possible cyberattack occurred on one of its computers. According to a statement released by the ministry, the incident involved potential malicious software. The MEF said it immediately activated its established security protocols to contain the intrusion and reinforced its preventive measures across the entire IT system.
The MEF emphasized that none of its central systems or platforms were compromised and that all operations are running normally. The ministry, which is crucial to the country’s economy, handles fiscal policy, public spending, and manages the significant revenues from the Panama Canal. It also assured the public that all personal and institutional data remain safe and that industry-standard security measures have been implemented to prevent future incidents.
However, a ransomware group called INC Ransom has taken credit for the attack. The hackers posted on their data leak site, claiming they breached the MEF last week. They allege they exfiltrated over 1.5 terabytes of sensitive data from the ministry’s systems.
INC Ransom added the MEF to its list of victims on the dark web on September 5. To substantiate its claims, the group has leaked samples of the stolen data, which reportedly include internal documents such as emails, financial records, and budgeting details. This directly contradicts the MEF’s assertion that no central systems were compromised and that all data is safe.
The conflicting reports from Panama’s government and the INC Ransom group have created uncertainty regarding the true extent of the breach. While the MEF insists it has contained the incident and protected its core systems, the hackers’ claim of stealing a massive amount of data suggests a much more significant security failure. The leaked data samples, if authenticated, would be definitive proof of a major breach, raising serious questions about the MEF’s initial assessment and the security of critical government information.
