DataBreaches.Net

Menu
  • About
  • Breach Notification Laws
  • Privacy Policy
  • Transparency Report
Menu

Nz: New Zealand health service hit by cyber attack

Posted on May 19, 2021 by Dissent

Zach Marzouk reports:

A cyber attack hit part of New Zealand’s health service this week, and now hackers who claim to be behind the attack have made contact with health officials.

The attack brought down the Waikato District Health Board’s (DHB) complete IT network on Tuesday which resulted in some appointments being cancelled.

Read more on ITPro.

The most recent update on the health board’s site as of the time of this posting reads:

UPDATE 5.30pm

Waikato DHB now has a number to call for external enquiries.

Please phone 0800 276 216

Anything that can be dealt with at the time will be done by the telephonists.

If not, they will refer onto the service to action and respond.

———

Our Information Systems team has been working throughout the night to get the Waikato DHB systems back online and have been making good progress.

Our staff are working to restore the infected systems and on the remediation process. We are working with the relevant government departments to ensure a secure environment is successfully re-established.

However, this is a complex process which will take more time to resolve. We currently have business continuity plans in place to keep our services running into the weekend.

We are currently working with other government departments to investigate the cause, but are working on the theory that the initial incursion was via an email attachment. A forensic investigation is ongoing.

This means our services across our Waikato DHB Hospitals (Waikato, Thames, Te Kuiti, Tokoroa and Taumarunui) will continue to be impacted today.

At Waikato Hospital, some elective surgeries have been deferred, while a number of outpatient clinics have been reduced.

Of 102 elective surgeries planned for inpatients at Waikato Hospital today, 73 are still going ahead.

As a result of yesterday’s disruptions, six elective surgeries were cancelled, while 95 went ahead.

Elective surgeries at Thames Hospital have been postponed and all outpatient activity at our rural hospitals have been deferred.

Anyone with queries about the urgency of their outpatient appointment should contact their GP.

Emergency Departments across all the DHB hospitals should remain for emergencies only. If it is an emergency, please continue to call 111. Otherwise, please call Healthline on 0800 611 116, contact your GP or local urgent care centre.

We want to assure the public that all of our inpatients will continue to receive the appropriate care from our hard-working staff.

We would also like to thank all of our healthcare partners, including Māori and Pacific providers, GPs, St John, our other DHBs who are providing support to our patients during this time.

No related posts.

Category: Health DataMalwareNon-U.S.

Post navigation

← Nz: Police admit privacy breach after nearly 40 gun licence applicants copied into same email
Wyoming Health Director, Tech Officer Quit After Data Leak →

Now more than ever

"Stand with Ukraine:" above raised hands. The illustration is in blue and yellow, the colors of Ukraine's flag.

Search

Browse by Categories

Recent Posts

  • Air Force Employee Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Disclose Unlawfully Classified National Defense Information
  • UK police arrest four in connection with M&S, Co-op and Harrods cyberattacks (1)
  • At U.S. request, France jails Russian basketball player Daniil Kasatkin on suspicion of ransomware conspiracy
  • Avantic Medical Lab hacked; patient data leaked by Everest Group
  • Integrated Oncology Network victim of phishing attack; multiple locations affected (2)
  • HHS’ Office for Civil Rights Settles HIPAA Privacy and Security Rule Investigation with Deer Oaks Behavioral Health for $225k and a Corrective Action Plan
  • HB1127 Explained: North Dakota’s New InfoSec Requirements for Financial Corporations
  • Credit reports among personal data of 190,000 breached, put for sale on Dark Web; IT vendor fined
  • Five youths arrested on suspicion of phishing
  • Russia Jailed Hacker Who Worked for Ukrainian Intelligence to Launch Cyberattacks on Critical Infrastructure

No, You Can’t Buy a Post or an Interview

This site does not accept sponsored posts or link-back arrangements. Inquiries about either are ignored.

And despite what some trolls may try to claim: DataBreaches has never accepted even one dime to interview or report on anyone. Nor will DataBreaches ever pay anyone for data or to interview them.

Want to Get Our RSS Feed?

Grab it here:

https://databreaches.net/feed/

RSS Recent Posts on PogoWasRight.org

  • How to Build on Washington’s “My Health, My Data” Act
  • Department of Justice Subpoenas Doctors and Clinics Involved in Performing Transgender Medical Procedures on Children
  • Google Settles Privacy Class Action Over Period Tracking App
  • ICE Is Searching a Massive Insurance and Medical Bill Database to Find Deportation Targets
  • Franklin, Tennessee Resident Sentenced to 30 Months in Federal Prison on Multiple Cyber Stalking Charges
  • On July 7, Gemini AI will access your WhatsApp and more. Learn how to disable it on Android.
  • German court awards Facebook user €5,000 for data protection violations

Have a News Tip?

Email: Tips[at]DataBreaches.net

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

Contact Me

Email: info[at]databreaches.net

Mastodon: Infosec.Exchange/@PogoWasRight

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

DMCA Concern: dmca[at]databreaches.net
© 2009 – 2025 DataBreaches.net and DataBreaches LLC. All rights reserved.