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Most patients impacted by the Manage My Health cyber breach have now been notified, as the platform continues working through the remaining communications and support for those affected.
In its latest update, Manage My Health said a “large proportion” of affected users have received notification emails, with the priority now focused on contacting the remaining patients and ensuring they receive appropriate support.
The company acknowledged that when the breach was first identified, it moved quickly to alert anyone who may have been affected out of caution and transparency. As a result, some people were notified prematurely, but a forensic investigation has since confirmed certain individuals were not impacted and they have now been updated.
The cyber incident involved a limited feature of the platform and affected documents stored in the My Health Documents section. This includes files uploaded by users, such as correspondence, reports or results, as well as some clinical documents including hospital discharge summaries and clinical letters related to care received in Northland Te Tai Tokerau.
Manage My Health stressed the breach did not involve GP clinical systems, live medical records, prescriptions, secure messaging or appointment systems.
The organisation said it acted immediately after detecting unusual activity, securing the platform, activating its incident response plan and engaging independent cyber security specialists. The affected feature has now been secured and the incident contained.
An interim High Court injunction has also been obtained to prevent any third party from accessing, sharing or publishing impacted data. The company said it is actively monitoring known data leak websites and is prepared to issue takedown notices if information appears online.
Health New Zealand, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner, the National Cyber Security Centre and New Zealand Police have been notified, and Manage My Health says it is continuing to work closely with regulators as the investigation progresses.
Patients are being advised to remain cautious of phishing or scam communications and reminded that Manage My Health will never ask for passwords or security codes. The company has partnered with IDCARE to provide free identity and cyber support for anyone concerned about potential misuse of their information.
