Partnered Health – A GP Network Breach, 21 Clinics, and a Court Order Against Criminals

This week's Australian deep-dive is a confirmed breach at Partnered Health, the operator of more than 60 medical, skin-cancer and allied-health clinics nationwide. An intruder detected on 23 June stole personal and health information tied to 21 named clinics across five states and territories — names, dates of birth, Medicare and health-insurance numbers, and in some cases consultation notes, referral letters and pathology results. Patients were notified from around 15 July, some 22 days after detection, and the company took the unusual step of obtaining a NSW Supreme Court injunction barring use or publication of the stolen data — a tactic security experts openly question. We walk the timeline, weigh what an injunction against anonymous offshore criminals can and can't achieve, and pull out the lessons: why health data is the crown jewel of stolen identity, what a good notification looks like, and the questions every practice — and every patient — should be asking.Does your organisation hold health or identity data it couldn't afford to lose? Visit www.kinsoft.com.au to talk through your security and IT needs.Sources: ACS Information Age; SBS News; DataBreaches.net; The Cyber Express; EFTM.