Electronic prescription provider MediSecure grapples with major data breach

Electronic prescription provider MediSecure grapples with major data breach | Insurance Business Australia

Cyber

Personal and health-related data at risk

Cyber

By
Roxanne Libatique

MediSecure, a provider of electronic prescription exchange services, has confirmed a cybersecurity breach involving personal and health-related data.

The breach is attributed to a third-party vendor. In response, MediSecure has implemented immediate measures to reduce any further risks to its systems.

The company is actively working with the Australian Digital Health Agency and the National Cyber Security Coordinator to manage and mitigate the effects of the breach. Further updates are planned to be made available on the company’s website.

“MediSecure understands the importance of transparency and will provide further updates via our website as soon as more information becomes available. We appreciate your patience and understanding during this time,” it said.

Despite this security lapse, the firm said that the incident has not impacted client operations or compromised any data within its own software systems. The issue was contained to GitHub and did not extend to any client-specific data.

The security checks following the incident showed no signs of malware or other threats in Iress’s systems. The unauthorised access was linked to the misuse of a GitHub-specific security credential, which did not affect Iress’s other systems or security protocols.

The company quickly secured the affected systems and is working with cybersecurity experts to delve deeper into the breach. It said the incident has not affected its operational capabilities or customer financial safety.

Firstmac is contacting customers whose personal details were compromised, offering support through IDCARE, which provides specialised identity and cyber support services in Australia.