Ambulance Tasmania data breach puts lives at risk

Private details of any Tasmanian who has used a vital state service have been made available online in a large-scale data breach. DETAILS >>

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POLICE have been asked to investigate how sensitive personal and health details of Tasmanian ambulance patients have been published online in an apparent massive data breach.

A website of unknown origin – which was continuing to be updated on Friday – lists the details of every Tasmanian patient attended to by an ambulance since November.

The information is from pager messages includes names, addresses and health information.

Health Minister Sarah Courtney said she was very concerned that patients’ information had appeared online.

“The matter of how this data interception from the Fire and Ambulance paging system has occurred has been referred to Tasmania Police,” Ms Courtney said.

“Appropriate steps have been taken by Ambulance Tasmania to limit the transmission of personal information via the paging system, balanced against the need to ensure patient and staff safety in responding to incidents is paramount.

“It is my understanding that access to the site has been blocked. This is an extremely concerning matter that will be further investigated, however I would like to reassure the Tasmanian Community that it is safe to call triple-0 in an emergency and we have taken steps to safely respond to this situation.”

Department of Health and Human Services secretary Kathrine Morgan-Wicks said she personally became aware of the website on Friday.

Health and Community Services Union state secretary Tim Jacobson said the publication of the data was “a terrible breach of privacy”.

“What is shows is every case stretching back to November last year that’s paged for Ambulance Tasmania and Tasmania Fire Service. Not only that but the personal details of the case, the health status of the individual and the address and some pretty horrific information about HIV status and some cases of potential suicide,” Mr Jacobson said.

“It’s hard to imagine why some IT or due diligence process … hasn’t picked up this as a major breach.

“It’s not clear whether it’s a hack or wither in fact there is a fundamental problem with the software that makes this information publicly available.”

Opposition health spokeswoman Sarah Lovell called on the government to come clean about when the breach became known.

“It’s inconceivable that it could have gone undetected for all this time,” Ms Lovell said.

Greens leader Cassy O’Connor said the breach raised several serious questions.

“An urgent, rigorous investigation and absolute transparency from government is required. We need to get to the bottom of not just how this breach occurred, but also how it remained undetected for so long.”

Originally published as Ambulance Tasmania data breach puts lives at risk