All health funds in Helse Nord use the same software for communication between the VET center and ambulances.
On March 31, Nordland Hospital announced that no malware had been installed that could provide access to information about ambulance missions. The system contains data such as directions, address, name and condition of patients.
Patients will be informed
Helse Nord considers this a serious data breach. We do not have a sufficient overview at this time to be able to determine if information has been retrieved from the system. We are now working intensively, along with health funds, to get the situation under control, Helse Nord RHF CEO Cecily Day wrote in a press release.
If it turns out that personal data has been recovered, affected patients will be informed, says Helles Nord.
According to Helse Nord, the data breach will not have consequences for the ambulances’ ability to carry out the missions.
Ambulances were damaged in the north
The damage must have been detected in a program used in ambulances and air ambulances at Helgeland Hospital, Nordland Hospital, Northern Norway University Hospital and Finnmark Hospital. The same system is also used in other health areas of the country, but they should not be affected by the data breach.
According to Helse Nord, the data breach has been notified to the Norwegian Data Protection Authority, the Norwegian Health Council, other health districts and more. Helse Nord is receiving assistance from HelseCERT, the national center for the health and care sector for cybersecurity, and the national center for cybersecurity at the National Security Agency, and must report the matter to the police.
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