Patients caught up in a data leak putting at risk their private health information have been warned to be vigilant about protecting themselves against scammers and shonky operators.
Partnered Health has engaged specialist cyber experts to advise them after becoming aware that some of their data was accessed maliciously in June.
The medical practices affected by the incursion include Cardiff Medical Centre and Skin Cancer Clinic, and Wyong Family Practice.
"We took immediate steps to contain the incident and assess whether personal information was accessed," a Partnered Health-issued statement says.
"Our investigations to date have confirmed that personal information (including health information) was taken from some of the clinics in our network.
"We are continuing to investigate the extent to which personal information has been impacted by this incident and are communicating with patients from impacted clinics."
The incident has been reported to the Australian Cyber Security Centre, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner and law enforcement.
Patients have beeen warned to stay on alert for suspicious emails, text messages or phone calls disguised to look like they come from someone they know or trust, and to monitor their accounts for any unusual activity.
Partnered Health has set up a website to detail steps patients can take to protect their private information.
It has also put a NSW Supreme Court interim injunction in place ordering that the accessed data not be used or published.
Patients have been urged to verify the identity of the sender of any suspicious correspondence, including checking email addresses and phone numbers rather than relying on the name displayed.
Other advice includes:
