Ransomware group claims to have stolen patient information from Australian fertility clinic

A ransomware group has claimed responsibility for stealing highly confidential patient information from an Australian fertility clinic.

A ransomware group has claimed responsibility for stealing patient information in a cyberattack on Australian fertility clinic Genea.

The hackers posted a statement on the dark web alleging they had 700gb of data from Genea servers which included confidential and personal client data.

Cyberdaily.com reported passports, pathology results, patient and health information were published by the group.

A Genea spokesman confirmed data taken from their patient management systems had been published externally and they were investigating what data been compromised.

Australian fertility clinic Genea is investigating a cyber incident after confirming an unauthorised third party accessed company data on its patient management systems. Picture: Supplied

“We apologise to our patients for any concern this latest development may cause,” a spokesman said after the hack was revealed.

“We are working to understand precisely what data has been published and ensuring that our support package is available to those impacted by this incident.”

Genea obtained a court-ordered injunction on Wednesday to prevent cyber attackers or other third parties from accessing, using, disseminating or publishing the stolen data.

In a statement, a company spokesman said the injunction was part of their commitment to protect their patients, staff and partners’ information and they were taking all reasonable steps to respond to the incident.

Genea became aware of suspicious activity on its network and discovered there had been a cyber security breach on February 14.

A ransomware group has claimed responsibility for the cyberattack on Genea and published patient information on the dark web. Picture: iStock

An investigation by the company revealed a cyber attacker may have stolen personal information they held on patient management systems, stressing they were unsure what personal information had been compromised.

Information kept on the system included full names, contact details, addresses, Medicare card numbers, private health insurance details, medical records and date of births.

“At this stage there is no evidence that any financial information such as credit card details or bank account numbers have been impacted by this incident,” a spokesman said.

“The investigation is however ongoing, and we will keep you updated of any relevant further findings should they come to light.”

The Australian Information Commissioner and the Australian Cyber Security Centre were notified about the incidents.

Originally published as Ransomware group claims to have stolen patient information from Australian fertility clinic