Cyber attack on health provider Pinnacle a 'wake up call' | Stuff.co.nz
Cyber attack on health provider Pinnacle a 'wake up call'
Rachel Moore
15:05, Oct 04 2022
Patient information held by PHO Pinnacle is understood to have been compromised in a cyber attack
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MARK TAYLOR / STUFF
Patient information held by PHO Pinnacle is understood to have been compromised in a cyber attack (video first published on Tuesday).
A top doctor is calling a cyber attack on a major primary health provider that has compromised the details of potentially thousands of patient details a “wake up call to the sector”.
Health workers are scrambling to deal with a cyber attack which has compromised details kept by Waikato and Bay of Plenty health provider Pinnacle, which operates dozens of GP practices.
Director of the Royal New Zealand College Dr Bryan Betty said the cyber attack was concerning, but he was reassured the Pinnacle was taking the appropriate steps to deal with the incident – and had been transparent.
He said the attack mostly targeted “topline data” and didn’t appear to impact patient records.
“They will obviously need to do more work to unpack that.”
But, he said this should come as a “wake up” to the sector.
In a statement Pinnacle said services impacted include the Pinnacle group regional offices, and Primary Health Care Ltd (PHCL) practices across Taranaki, Rotorua, Taupō-Tūrangi, Thames-Coromandel and Waikato.
Pinnacle independent chair Craig McFarlane and chief executive Justin Butcher (right) spoke to media in the wake of the cyber attack.
MARK TAYLOR/STUFF
Pinnacle independent chair Craig McFarlane and chief executive Justin Butcher (right) spoke to media in the wake of the cyber attack.
The incident took place on Wednesday, September 28, and the affected IT was immediately taken offline and contained.
Chief executive Justin Butcher said that while investigations are still underway it appears that before the breach was notified and the IT was contained the malicious actors accessed information from the system, which could include commercial and personal details.
Rachel Moore
15:05, Oct 04 2022
Patient information held by PHO Pinnacle is understood to have been compromised in a cyber attack
Play Video
MARK TAYLOR / STUFF
Patient information held by PHO Pinnacle is understood to have been compromised in a cyber attack (video first published on Tuesday).
A top doctor is calling a cyber attack on a major primary health provider that has compromised the details of potentially thousands of patient details a “wake up call to the sector”.
Health workers are scrambling to deal with a cyber attack which has compromised details kept by Waikato and Bay of Plenty health provider Pinnacle, which operates dozens of GP practices.
Director of the Royal New Zealand College Dr Bryan Betty said the cyber attack was concerning, but he was reassured the Pinnacle was taking the appropriate steps to deal with the incident – and had been transparent.
He said the attack mostly targeted “topline data” and didn’t appear to impact patient records.
“They will obviously need to do more work to unpack that.”
But, he said this should come as a “wake up” to the sector.
In a statement Pinnacle said services impacted include the Pinnacle group regional offices, and Primary Health Care Ltd (PHCL) practices across Taranaki, Rotorua, Taupō-Tūrangi, Thames-Coromandel and Waikato.
Pinnacle independent chair Craig McFarlane and chief executive Justin Butcher (right) spoke to media in the wake of the cyber attack.
MARK TAYLOR/STUFF
Pinnacle independent chair Craig McFarlane and chief executive Justin Butcher (right) spoke to media in the wake of the cyber attack.
The incident took place on Wednesday, September 28, and the affected IT was immediately taken offline and contained.
Chief executive Justin Butcher said that while investigations are still underway it appears that before the breach was notified and the IT was contained the malicious actors accessed information from the system, which could include commercial and personal details.
