The National Office of Cybersecurity (NOCS) has briefed the AMA on cyber security risks for health professionals following a recent incident involving the IVF service provider Genea.
General practitioners and other medical specialists, pharmacists, and medical professionals have been advised to have robust cyber security measures to protect sensitive patient data and maintain patient trust.
The NOCS's health sector industry working group has issued a fact sheet following Genea becoming aware on 14 February 2025 of an unauthorised third party accessing its systems.
"Following any data breach in the healthcare sector, healthcare providers should be especially vigilant when being asked to send sensitive healthcare information over the phone, email or fax," the fact sheet says.
"This could require healthcare providers to call patients back on their known contact details , or ask additional identifying questions to establish any individual's identification.
"Maintaining robust cyber security in healthcare organisations is crucial, not only for protecting sensitive patient data, but also for ensuring the highest quality of patient care while maintaining patient trust."
The following resources are available to support members improve their cybersecurity:
- The National Cyber Security Coordinator and the National Office of Cyber Security provide guidance on incident response, consequence management, and collaborative forums. The 2023-2030 Australian Cyber Security Strategy
