Advertisement

Updated May 26th, 2021 at 15:54 IST

New Zealand health systems hackers release patient details to media, probe underway

A group claiming responsibility for the Waikato District Health Board Cyber-attack has released private patient information to New Zealand’s media outlets.

Reported by: Riya Baibhawi
New Zealand
Image: Pixabay/Representative/PTI | Image:self
Advertisement

A group claiming responsibility for the Waikato District Health Board Cyber-attack has released private patient information to New Zealand’s media outlets. In a series of emails sent to kiwi media late at night on Tuesday, the hackers unveiled records, phone numbers and addresses of patients as well as the employees working in the region’s hospitals. The release came into light after various media outlets phoned the police claiming to have received the documents.

"A number of cyber security experts working with us and the police who are investigating and making sure all leads are followed," Waikato DHB chief executive Kevin Snee told Radio New Zealand.

"We are aware that some patient, staff, contractor and other personal information has been distributed to news media organisations by unknown individuals. Our expectation is that the DHB would notify and offer support to the individuals identified in that information without delay. We would also expect that the DHB would be actively monitoring for potential host sites on the Dark Web or elsewhere," Privacy Commissioner John Edwards told Rdio New Zealand. 

The ransomware breach, which jolted New Zealand last week, targeted hospitals in the country’s Waikato District, located just south of Auckland. The attack has impacted the functioning of several hospitals, many of which switched to a manual system of data handling. Many other hospitals, diverted their patients to other avenues of treatment, if not in critical condition. According to Radio, New Zealand, high-tech equipment has been rendered useless by the cyber attack, and the District Health Board fears that could compromise their condition.

'still under attack' 

Last week, authorities in Ireland said that it was testing a decryption tool that will help the software experts to unlock IT systems disabled by human-operated ransomware that attacked the Health Service Executive (HSE) systems. This comes amid reports that cybercriminals had threatened to make the patient data public, next week prompting Ireland's Health Service Executive (HSE) to shut down its networks totally, which obstructed diagnostic services.

According to local broadcaster The Irish Times, experts at the National Cyber Security Centre were working with private contractors to examine the Health IT systems for the safe restoration of medical services. HSE chief executive, Paul Reid, told the network that the teams were trying to determine “what level of data is compromised” in the ransomware attack.

Representative Image: PTI/Representative Image/Pixabay 

Advertisement

Published May 26th, 2021 at 15:54 IST

Your Voice. Now Direct.

Send us your views, we’ll publish them. This section is moderated.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Whatsapp logo