Singapore national health database hacked, details of HIV positive patients revealed

By PharmaCompass

2019-01-31

Impressions: 103 Article

After last year’s cyber attack, wherein personal information of about 1.5 million Singaporeans was stolen, another incident took place in the city-state as an HIV-positive American — Mikhy Farrera Brochez — leaked online the personal data of 14,200 Singaporeans and foreigners diagnosed with the AIDS virus.

Brochex had been deported from Singapore after serving a jail term. Brochez lived in Singapore from 2008 and was convicted in 2017 on numerous drug-related and fraud offenses, including lying to the country’s ministry of manpower about his own HIV status.

Brochez had used his Singaporean doctor partner’s blood sample to pass blood tests so he could work in Singapore, the ministry said in a statement. His partner had access to the HIV Registry for his work, it added.

Last week, Brochez disclosed online the personal information including the names, ID numbers, phone numbers and addresses of 5,400 Singaporeans diagnosed with HIV up to January 2013 and 8,800 foreigners diagnosed up to December 2011.

In May 2016, Singapore’s health ministry had become aware that Brochez was in possession of confidential information that appeared to be from the country’s HIV Registry. Last week, it learned that he could still be in possession of the data, the ministry said.

Singapore-based advocacy group Action for AIDS said the case has the “potential of damaging the lives of persons living with HIV and their loved ones”.

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“ The article is based on the information available in public and which the author believes to be true. The author is not disseminating any information, which the author believes or knows, is confidential or in conflict with the privacy of any person. The views expressed or information supplied through this article is mere opinion and observation of the author. The author does not intend to defame, insult or, cause loss or damage to anyone, in any manner, through this article.”

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