The public will have to be vigilant about potential scams using healthcare data for a number of months, according to a security expert.
It is expected that the criminal gang which hacked the HSE servers may release or sell on the data as they have threatened, but the impact is unlikely to be seen for some time, said Rosie Coffey from the University of Limerick. Ms Coffey, head of enterprise architecture and security, said: “The inevitable next step is they are going to use that data making it a scammers’ paradise. The data now has to be assumed to be available.”
She said anyone who dealt with the HSE or Tusla should be “extra vigilant in relation to anything to do with your personal data”. Ms Coffey warned of increased attempted scams in the coming months. The advice is to never give out personal details, ask the caller where they are calling from, independently find their number and call them back.
A Garda spokesman said anyone receiving a suspicious call should contact the Garda confidential line immediately at 1 800 666 111.
