- Genea Fertility attacked by data hackers
- A unspecified quantity of patients affected
- READ MORE: Australian IVF clinic suffers a HACK, raising concerns among patients
Patients of a leading fertilityclinic that costs $12,890 perIVFCyclists have had their personal information and medical conditions exposed on the dark web.
Genea stated that it became aware of unusual activity on its network in February and initiated an investigation, according to a statement on its website.
It found that a cybersecurity breach had revealed patients’ private information.
The leading fertility company was given a court-imposed order to prevent anyone who receives the data from accessing, using, sharing, or publishing it.
However, some patients have stated that they were only informed about the breach last week, five months after the incident occurred.
A woman, who preferred to stay unidentified, criticized Genea Fertility’s handling of the leak as ‘shocking’.
“We learned about this data breach through an email alert at 11pm last Friday night, when the office was closed,” she said.news.com.au.
The fact that the breach happened in February, and we are only now being informed, five months later, for the first time that sensitive information… was taken and is available on the dark web is completely unacceptable.
The woman stated that it defies belief that the company still held her information, even though she had ceased communication with the clinic over ten years ago in 2013.
A father and former client, Matthew Maher, mentioned that he received an email on Thursday evening indicating that his personal details, including his phone number, name, address, Medicare information, and private health insurance number, had been exposed on the dark web.
Mr. Maher, whose daughter was born through the clinic, mentioned that he has been receiving ‘strange phone calls’ over the past few weeks.
“I’ve informed them that if there’s a class-action lawsuit or a compensation claim, I’ll be the first to join,” he said to the publication.
Genea sent official alerts to past and present patients in February, following the rules set by the Australian Information Commissioner.
After a lengthy investigation, the clinic subsequently reached out to patients, providing them with specific information about the personal data that had been disclosed.
Individuals whose medical diagnosis and clinical data, along with their personal information, were in danger were classified as ‘Annexure A’.
Genea has not disclosed the number of customers impacted as investigations by the Australian Federal Police are still underway.
The organization is among Australia’s top three IVF service providers, with locations in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney, and Perth.
A representative from the clinic stated to Daily Mail Australia that the company’s internal review has determined.
“We are currently beginning to reach out to individuals regarding the results of our investigation that pertain to them, along with the actions and assistance available to help them safeguard their personal data,” they stated.
Genea plans to reach out to every affected person in the next few weeks.
The company has collaborated with IDCARE, Australia’s national identity and cyber support service, andestablish a specialized call center and email support system.
“We appreciate our community for their patience and comprehension throughout this cyber incident,” the representative stated.
We sincerely apologize for the unauthorized access and release of personal information and deeply regret any distress this may have caused.
Genea has also informed and is working alongside the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, the National Office of Cyber Security, the Australian Cyber Security Centre, and applicable state agencies.
