Australia’s My Health Record system sees rise in data breaches

The agency’s Annual Report 2017–18 identified that “42 data breaches (in 28 notifications) were reported to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC)… concerning potential data security or integrity breaches”, but with “no purposeful or malicious attacks compromising the integrity or security of the My Health Record system”. Of the 42 instances, one breach resulted from unauthorised access to a My Health Record as a result of an incorrect parental authorised representative being assigned to a child. Two breaches resulted from suspected fraud against the Medicare program, where the incorrect records appeared in the My Health Record of the affected individual and were viewed without authority by the individual undertaking the suspected fraudulent activity.