Family Violence and Sexual Assault Data Compromised in Cyber Breach

Recently, data related to family violence and sexual assault of 4000 Victorians collected over a span of two decades by one of the state’s largest health services has been compromised in a data breach.

Monash Health confirmed on May 3 that the breach occurred at ZircoDATA, an external company that they used for scanning archived historical documents.

The breach included information from family violence and sexual assault support units at Monash Medical Centre, the Queen Victoria Hospital, and Southern Health from 1970 to 1993, as stated by the health service’s chief executive Eugine Yafele.

Monash Health became aware of the breach on March 27 and estimates that it affects approximately 4000 individuals.

Addressing the delay in making a public statement about the breach, Mr. Yafele explained that Monash Health needed time to conduct a forensic investigation of its systems to ensure accuracy and security.

“It’s taken longer than I would have wanted,” he added.

The compromised data may include names and addresses of the clients, but Monash Health’s internal systems remain unaffected.

Mr. Yafele expressed his disappointment and assured that the health service is taking the matter seriously to verify the impact and details of the breach.

Individuals who suspect they may have been affected are encouraged to visit Monash Health’s website for updates or contact their cyber breach support line.

The Department of Government Services is collaborating with Monash Health to assess the extent of the breach.

“The Department of Government Services’ cyber security experts have been in communication with the Australian Cyber Security Centre to manage this incident involving various government entities,” stated a spokesman from the Victorian government.

For support, individuals can reach out to 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) or Lifeline at 13 11 14.