Widex Hong Kong Hearing and Speech Centre hit by ransomware, exposes data of 148k people
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A ransomware attack on July 5, 2024, targeted Widex Hong Kong Hearing and Speech Centre and its subsidiary, Starry Hearing and Speech Centre, compromising the personal data of approximately 148,000 individuals.
The breach encrypted the internal systems of both centers, impacting key applications and exposing a vast amount of sensitive information. Widex and Starry initially announce the ransomware attack in August 2024, but didn't disclose details.
On July 30, 2024 the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data was notified of the incident.
The breach, as reported by the Hong Kong Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data, potentially exposed the following details:
Customer Information:
- Names
- Dates of birth
- Addresses
- Phone numbers
- Audiologist records
- Hearing device records
Employee Information (current and former):
- Names
- Salary details
- Retirement benefits
- Bonuses
- Bank account numbers
The Privacy Commissioner has indicated that these figures are preliminary, with ongoing investigations to confirm the full extent of the data leak. No details about notifications to impacted individuals or any protections offered are available.
