NHF data breach threat prompts MOCA probe, Tufton says

Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton says the National Health Fund has been approached by hackers who allege they have obtained medical details tied to some of the agency's clients.

Tufton made the disclosure on Wednesday during the post-Cabinet media briefing at Jamaica House. He said the Ministry of Health and Wellness is aware that claims about a possible compromise of the NHF database have been circulating publicly.

"There has been some communication from some deviant around this breach. So the NHF has confirmed receipt of a threat from a hacker group claiming to have access to some of the data. It's not yet confirmed. Even though they have indicated some of the data that they say they have, it's not yet confirmed," Tufton told journalists.

The minister said, however, that the information available so far was serious enough for the NHF to make a report to the Office of the Information Commissioner.

He also said NHF officials have reached out to the Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency, MOCA, to brief investigators and assist the public bodies handling the matter.

"Just to assure the public that the immediate steps have been taken to reinforce security protocols, and hardening of the organisation's security posture is ongoing," Tufton said.

According to Tufton, the material the hackers claim to hold concerns "medication and, you know, maybe who benefits from what type of medication".

"It's confidential data. We don't reveal our history of medication administration and, we do get attacks on a daily basis, just as the banks do and so on, but I just wanted to raise this to the public because something is being circulated in the space," he said.