A 59-year-old male nurse employed by NSW Health has been charged following an NSW Police investigation into an alleged data breach involving patient information.
Following inquiries made under Strike Force Civic, State Crime Command’s Cybercrime Squad executed a search warrant at the man’s Frenchs Forest home on 23 July, where they found several electronic devices that allegedly contained patient data.
The registered nurse was taken to Manly Police Station, where he was charged with accessing/modifying restricted data held in a computer. The man was granted bail and will appear at Manly Local Court on 19 August.
The Cybercrime Squad’s Commander, Detective Superintendent Matt Craft, said that as soon as NSW Health became aware of the breach, NSW Police were promptly alerted, enabling Cybercrime Squad detectives to respond quickly.
“The moment NSW Health alerted us to this breach, Cybercrime Squad detectives acted swiftly to seize the devices and recover the data,” Superintendent Craft said in a weekend statement.
“These devices are now being examined by specialists to determine whether there has been any further sharing of the data.
“Initial inquiries indicate the data – while being accessed illegally – appears to have been contained to the individual.
“Incidents such as this alleged access represent a clear breach of professional and community trust, and it will be treated with the utmost seriousness.
“NSW Police will continue to work collaboratively with NSW Health.”
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