St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney. Image credit: Alastair Gilfillan, flickr.
St Vincent’s Health are urgently investigating an incident where hackers stole data from its network.
Australia’s largest not-for-profit health and aged care provider confirmed that a cyber security incident was detected on Tuesday.
Late on Thursday, they discovered that cyber criminals had removed some data from their network.
It is unclear what data was removed.
“St Vincent’s immediately took steps to contain the incident, engaged external security experts, and notified all relevant state and federal governments and the necessary agencies,” St Vincent’s Health wrote in a statement on Friday.
“Key activities include securing and containing the incident, understanding what the cyber criminals have done, and identifying what data may have been accessed and stolen.”
The National Office of Cyber Security and the Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre are working with St Vincent’s Health to resolve the matter.
The teams are working with Services Australia, the Department of Health and Aged Care, and other relevant State/Territory agencies to ensure a coordinated response.
St Vincent’s said that the incident has not affected their ability to deliver services in its hospitals and centres.
“Our priority is the health and safety of our patients, residents and our people, and the continuity of St Vincent’s services for the community,” the statement read.
They recognise that these incidents can be distressing for those affected.
This is not the first major health provider to have its data stolen, with Medibank falling victim in October 2022.
