Potential privacy breach of Northern Region DHBs' IT provider

The IT provider for Northern Region DHBs has found unusual activity in a routine security check. Photo / File

A possible privacy breach of the IT provider for the Northern Region District Health Boards has been alerted.

A spokesperson for healthAlliance, which provides non-clinical shared services and an ICT platform to the four DHBs across Auckland and Northland, said indications of unusual activity had been identified through a routine security check.

"An investigation is underway to understand and address the cause of the indications of this activity," the spokesperson said.

They said no impact to health services had been uncovered and all Northern Region DHBs' IT systems were functioning normally.

"There is nothing to link this investigation to the activity to other recent serious cyber security incidents."

A spokesperson for the office of the Privacy Commissioner confirmed it was notified of an incident by Counties Manukau DHB, on behalf of healthAlliance, on Wednesday.

However, an investigation was yet to be opened as it was not clear whether people had been affected.

"We are monitoring the situation and will rely on further updates from the agency concerned.

"If individuals think they are harmed by this potential breach, they can make a complaint to our office and we would look at their situation.

"However, at this stage, it would be premature to assume harm had resulted to individuals."

The Northern Region Health Co-ordination Centre, which represents the DHBs, referred requests for comment to healthAlliance.