A staggering number of over 80,000 individuals have been affected by the recent breach involving Manage My Health in Northland. This alarming situation has come to light approximately one hour ago, as reported by RNZ and Finn Blackwell.
According to Health NZ, more than 70 percent of those impacted reside in the Northland region. The notorious ransomware group known as Kazu orchestrated this attack, demanding a ransom of US$60,000 (equivalent to NZD$105,000) after they successfully stole hundreds of thousands of medical records from the privately operated patient portal that is utilized by various general practices across New Zealand.
To date, Manage My Health has reached out to roughly half of the nearly 120,000 patients whose sensitive data has been compromised. It's important to note that this breach affects only about 6-7 percent of the 1.8 million registered users, specifically within the 'My Health Documents' module, as clarified by Manage My Health representatives.
A spokesperson from Health NZ indicated that the estimated number of people impacted in Northland is around 86,000. In response to this crisis, Health NZ has committed to providing necessary support for those affected in the area.
Alex Pimm, the group director of operations for Northland, mentioned that they are actively seeking funding to assist general practices in offering consultations. These consultations will not only allow affected individuals to discuss their clinical information but also to seek support for mental wellbeing during this distressing time.
For those who have been impacted by the data breach, a dedicated 0800 number will be made available for assistance.
Pimm further explained that Health NZ employs Manage My Health in Northland to facilitate patient access to critical documents, such as hospital discharge summaries, clinic letters, and referral notifications. He emphasized, "This system enables consumers, whether they have a primary care provider or not, to access this vital information."
Despite the breach, Pimm reassured the public that Health NZ's own data systems remain intact and uncompromised. He acknowledged that any incident involving patient information is treated with the utmost seriousness.
It's worth noting that Northland is the sole region in the country where Health NZ utilizes Manage My Health to disseminate information to patients.
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