Illustrative image (Source: channelnewsasia.com)Hanoi (VNA) - Singapore's Health Ministry announced on January 28 thatthe records of 14,200 people infected with HIV, mostly foreigners, in thecountry, was stolen and leaked.
This is the second largest data leak in the country in the last six months.
The ministry said the records of 5,400 Singaporeans diagnosed with HIV from1985 to January 2013 and 8,800 foreigners, including work and visit passapplicants and holders, diagnosed with HIV from 1985 to December 2011, were illegally leaked online.
The leaked informationincluded their names, identification numbers, phone numbers, addresses, HIVtest results and other medical information.
The authorities are making every effort to prevent spread of the information, theministry said, adding that it is working withrelevant parties to scan the internet for signs of further disclosure of theinformation.
The information was leaked by and is still in the possession ofMikhy K Farrera Brochez, an HIV-positive American who lived in Singapore from2008 to 2016. He was convicted of numerous fraud and drug offences, as well aslying to the Ministry of Manpower about his HIV status, the health ministrysaid.
Brochez was remanded in prison in June 2016, sentenced to 28 months in jail anddeported from Singapore in April 2018.
Two years later in May 2018, after Brochez had been deported from Singapore,the ministry received information that Brochez still had part of the records. Theinformation did not appear to have been disclosed publicly.
On Jan 22 this year, the ministry was notified by the police thatBrochez may still have more information from the HIV registry, and had leakedit online.
Singaporean police affirmed that the case was notrelated to cybercrime.
In June and July lastyear, the health records of 1.5 million Singaporean patients, including that ofPrime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, were hacked in the worst cyber attack in thecountry.
Another cyber attack in 2017 targeted the Singaporean Ministry of Defence, butit only managed to access basic information on military conscripts.-VNA
VNA
