Health New Zealand hit by data breach leaking data of 12,000 people
Learn More
Te Whatu Ora, Health New Zealand, is addressing a significant breach of personal information following the unauthorized disclosure by a former staff member. Te Whatu Ora is leveraging the assistance of international cybersecurity experts to monitor the situation and mitigate any potential fallout from the breach.
The breach involved the release of a downloadable file containing personal details of at least 12,000 Covid-19 vaccinators on a blog based in the United States. The figure may increase as the investigation progresses. Upon discovery of the breach, Health New Zealand immediately requested takedown of the sensitive information from the internet, which the blog complied with.
The chief executive of Health NZ, Margie Apa, expressed deep regret over the incident and extended a sincere apology to those impacted, committing to providing affected individuals with information, advice, and support.
The organization has started notifying the affected persons.
Legal actions have been taken against the former employee responsible for the leak, who has been charged with disclosing the information and spreading misinformation about the Covid-19 vaccines.
