Nearly 200 patients' information leaked in shocking Melbourne hospital hack
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In our increasingly digital world, data breaches have become an unfortunate reality.
The healthcare industry is no exception, as evident in the recent cyber attack on Melbourne's Royal Women's Hospital, where nearly 200 patients had their personal information compromised when hackers infiltrated a staff member's private email account.
This incident highlighted growing concerns about protecting sensitive patient data.
After an investigation that revealed potentially stolen data, the hospital apologised to the 192 patients affected by the incident, saying: '(We are) very sorry to advise of a recent incident where cybercriminals gained access to the private email account of a staff member.'
'We are taking this matter very seriously and apologise sincerely for any distress and inconvenience caused to affected patients.'
So how did it happen? The employee in question had reportedly forwarded work emails to their personal account, likely in an attempt to coordinate patient appointments from home. Cybercriminals accessed the employee’s account, which allowed them to steal patient information.
Most affected patients have been notified, and the rest will be informed via registered mail.
The hospital had released a statement assuring patients that no medical records were accessed and that the hospital’s official email and IT systems were not hacked.
'The Women’s is thoroughly investigating the attack and has put in place actions to ensure that affected patients receive accurate information and adequate support,' they said.
Affected patients can connect with cyber experts through an established hotline for detailed advice, support, and free counselling services.
The Royal Women’s Hospital is the latest victim following an increase in cybersecurity threats in the past few years.
Other high-profile companies such as news outlet The Guardian and fast-food chain Pizza Hut were targeted as well.
The hacking at Pizza Hut has led to a potential customer data breach, including personal details like delivery addresses and order specifics stolen due to the incident.
Pizza Hut Australia stated that approximately 193,000 customers had been affected by the breach, but they didn't disclose how far back the accessed information dates. You can read more about this incident here.
Other government agencies were also not safe from these attacks.
In the past month, critical data was stolen from the Australian Federal Police (AFP) as they were revealed to be one of the victims of a cyberattack on HWL Ebsworth, one of Australia’s largest commercial law firms with the AFP as a client.
Furthermore, according to Microsoft’s Cyber Signals report from December 2022, parts of the energy grid and essential services could be hit by cyberattacks, which could then put people’s lives at risk over disruptive power outages.
Members, have you ever been a victim of a hacking incident? Let us know in the comments below!
The healthcare industry is no exception, as evident in the recent cyber attack on Melbourne's Royal Women's Hospital, where nearly 200 patients had their personal information compromised when hackers infiltrated a staff member's private email account.
This incident highlighted growing concerns about protecting sensitive patient data.
After an investigation that revealed potentially stolen data, the hospital apologised to the 192 patients affected by the incident, saying: '(We are) very sorry to advise of a recent incident where cybercriminals gained access to the private email account of a staff member.'
'We are taking this matter very seriously and apologise sincerely for any distress and inconvenience caused to affected patients.'
Cybercriminals obtained data from nearly 200 patients at a hospital in Melbourne. Image source: The Royal Women’s Hospital (left), rawpixel.com on Freepik.
So how did it happen? The employee in question had reportedly forwarded work emails to their personal account, likely in an attempt to coordinate patient appointments from home. Cybercriminals accessed the employee’s account, which allowed them to steal patient information.
Most affected patients have been notified, and the rest will be informed via registered mail.
The hospital had released a statement assuring patients that no medical records were accessed and that the hospital’s official email and IT systems were not hacked.
'The Women’s is thoroughly investigating the attack and has put in place actions to ensure that affected patients receive accurate information and adequate support,' they said.
Affected patients can connect with cyber experts through an established hotline for detailed advice, support, and free counselling services.
The Royal Women’s Hospital is the latest victim following an increase in cybersecurity threats in the past few years.
Other high-profile companies such as news outlet The Guardian and fast-food chain Pizza Hut were targeted as well.
The hacking at Pizza Hut has led to a potential customer data breach, including personal details like delivery addresses and order specifics stolen due to the incident.
Pizza Hut Australia stated that approximately 193,000 customers had been affected by the breach, but they didn't disclose how far back the accessed information dates. You can read more about this incident here.
Other government agencies were also not safe from these attacks.
In the past month, critical data was stolen from the Australian Federal Police (AFP) as they were revealed to be one of the victims of a cyberattack on HWL Ebsworth, one of Australia’s largest commercial law firms with the AFP as a client.
Furthermore, according to Microsoft’s Cyber Signals report from December 2022, parts of the energy grid and essential services could be hit by cyberattacks, which could then put people’s lives at risk over disruptive power outages.
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