Monash Health Data Compromised in Attack on Records Digitization Provider
Admin3The breach at Monash Health underscores the far-reaching implications of cyberattacks, especially when they involve sensitive information related to family violence and sexual assault support cases. The attack targeted a third-party company contracted by Monash Health to manage the scanning and archival of documents spanning 23 years. As a result, confidential and highly sensitive data became compromised, posing significant risks to the affected individuals and the integrity of support services provided by Monash Health.
The breach at Monash Health, stemming from the compromise of Victoria-based ZircoDATA, has raised concerns regarding the security of archived historical documents. The incident, which occurred due to a ransomware infection at ZircoDATA in February, has led to the exposure of sensitive data related to family violence and sexual assault support units. Monash Health's chief, Eugine Yafele, clarified that the breach affected archived data from Monash Medical Centre, the Queen Victoria Hospital, and Southern Health, spanning the years 1970 to 1993. To address the situation, Monash Health has established a dedicated hotline (1800 491 663) for individuals who believe they may have been impacted by the breach, emphasizing the importance of addressing the historical data compromise promptly and effectively.
Yafele expressed deep disappointment regarding Monash Health's involvement in the breach, emphasizing the team's commitment to verifying the impacted individuals and assessing the extent of compromised data. He underscored the organization's dedication to addressing the situation diligently. Lieutenant General Michelle McGuinness, the federal government's national cyber security coordinator, described Monash Health's exposure to the incident as distressing, especially highlighting the impact on victim-survivors who had previously received support from Monash Health's services. McGuinness conveyed empathy for those affected by the breach in a LinkedIn post.
McGuinness noted that the National Office of Cyber Security has been actively involved in supporting ZircoDATA since mid-March to determine the full scope of the compromise. The focus has been on assisting the organization and its affected government clients in identifying impacted victims and fulfilling their obligations to notify them. McGuinness explained that assessing the complete extent of the breach is a complex and time-consuming process, and ZircoDATA is still working to compile a comprehensive list of affected individuals and organizations. McGuinness emphasized that disclosures will be made once there is certainty regarding the information compromised, the safety of victims, and the readiness of support services.
Melbourne Polytechnic has reported that roughly 60,000 current and former students have been impacted by the breach. The institution disclosed that ZircoDATA, the third-party company involved in the incident, had stored data related to student enrollment. This data primarily consisted of "low-risk identity attributes," including the full names of students, their student identification numbers, dates of birth, and physical addresses at the time of their enrollment.
McGuinness emphasized that although several government entities have been affected by the breach, the impact on most of them is projected to be minimal. These entities are currently engaged in collaborative efforts with ZircoDATA to identify the data that has been compromised and the individuals affected by the breach. However, the process of notifying impacted individuals has not yet commenced for most of these entities. The Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner (OVIC) has instructed affected bodies within the state to promptly notify it regarding the breach.
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