Sleep study patients' personal data accessed in ransomware attack, SA Health says
A ransomware attack on a third party software used in sleep studies has accessed data from more than 2,000 sleep study patients in SA. (ABC News)
In short:
The personal details including names and addresses of 2,254 sleep study patients at the Women's and Children's Hospital in Adelaide has been accessed in a ransomware attack, SA Health says.
The ransomware attack occurred against the software of Compumedics, a third party which manages world-wide patient data for sleep studies.
What's next?
Compumedics and SA Health have set up helplines for patients who have been affected.
Personal data from more than 2,000 patients involved in sleep studies at Adelaide's Women's and Children's Hospital has been accessed in a ransomware attack, SA Health says.
In a statement released on Thursday, SA Health said a third-party company known as Compumedics, which provides the sleep study software and equipment, had advised that the files of 2,254 patients who had used the inpatient sleep service at the hospital since 2018 were "likely to have been among those impacted".
SA Health said Compumedics produces software and equipment for sleep studies in hospitals internationally, including at the Women's and Children's Hospital (WCH).
Dr Robyn Lawrence says SA Health took "immediate action" once notified of the breach. (ABC News)
SA Health chief executive officer Robyn Lawrence said the breach had "impacted Compumedics software directly and there is no evidence of a breach of any SA Health operated IT system".
"As soon as Compumedics revealed the initial national ransomware attack we took immediate action to suspend access to the Compumedics software and related devices from our network," she said.
"Now as soon as we have been made aware that South Australian sleep study patients are likely to be affected, we have taken immediate action to verify that information, notify patients and the public."
SA Health said it was helping Compumedics to notify those affected, with letters being sent today.
It said data accessed included names, addresses, phone numbers, birth dates and "limited clinical information", but no financial information, Medicare number or bank account details was taken.
"Compumedics has advised that identity theft and potential scams are the biggest risk to patients impacted," the SA Health statement said.
SA Health said the WCH was the only public hospital in the state which had been impacted and that an external cybersecurity organisation was then engaged to help verify the safety of the SA Health systems.
An SA Health helpline for affected patients has been established on (08) 7111 3699, while the Compumedics contact number for affected patients is (03) 8420 7300.