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Dunedin-based health technology firm Zenith Technology (ZenTech) has suffered a major health data breach, it has been confirmed.
Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora (HNZ) issued a statement on Thursday afternoon which said it was supporting ZenTech with its response to a cyber incident. “ZenTech has also engaged specialist cyber forensic support,” the statement said.
ZenTech is a privately owned and operated Dunedin-based contract research organisation involved in clinical-trial related work with HNZ and the wider health sector.
“Health NZ was made aware of the incident after files attributed to ZenTech were identified online,” an HNZ spokesman said.
“There is no impact on Health NZ digital systems, and hospitals and primary care providers are operating as normal.
“We recognise the public interest in this incident and the concern cyber events can cause. Our priority is to ensure the response is thorough, coordinated and based on verified information.”
HNZ did not say how many and what kind of files were affected, but mentioned that “the right agencies and specialist experts are involved, and the situation is being actively managed through established national incident response protocols”.
“This is also an ongoing police investigation, and there are limits to what can be said publicly while the investigation and related forensic work continue.”
If any information was confirmed that indicates risk to individuals, HNZ would work with the impacted organisation and relevant agencies to “ensure appropriate steps are taken to notify and support those affected”.
Health Minister Simeon Brown had been made aware of the incident and was “continuing to receive regular updates”, a spokeswoman said.
ZenTech, which was established in 1987, provides clinical trial and analytical laboratory services for the international pharmaceutical industry.
It has an analytical laboratory and a dedicated clinical site capable of housing up to 60 participants at one time, “providing the complete package from protocol development to report submission”, its website states.
It was set up by Dr Cheung Tak Hung, a senior lecturer in the pharmacy department at the University of Otago from 1983-87.
It has in the past run numerous private clinical trials involving students.
When the Otago Daily Times approached the university and the Otago University Students’ Association, both declined to comment on the situation.
A spokesperson for ZenTech told the ODT they were aware that some sample material purported to be company data had been published online.
‘‘As a matter of priority, we have engaged independent cyber security experts to investigate the incident and assess the nature and extent of any impact.
‘‘We are working closely with relevant authorities and government agencies, including Health New Zealand.
‘‘As investigations continue, we are carefully assessing the available information to ensure that any updates we provide are accurate and reliable.”
Cybersecurity website threatintel.co.nz reported a breach occurred in August and was likely a ransomware attack.