IVF hack inquiry confirms details published on dark web

19-07-2025

An IVF provider targeted in a cyber attack has written to patients confirming their stolen personal information has been posted on the dark net.
"The publication has occurred on a part of the dark web, which is a hidden part of the internet," according to Genea chief executive Tim Yeoh.
"This data is not readily searchable or accessible."
An investigation following a security breach at the company on February 14 determined its patient management systems were accessed by an unauthorised third party or "threat actor".
The impacted servers were a store for a raft of personal information including full names, emails, addresses, phone numbers, Medicare card numbers, private health insurance details, medical history, diagnoses, treatments, medications and prescriptions.
The health data included clinical information related to services provided by Genea and other companies.
There was no evidence the hackers stole financial information such as credit card details or bank account numbers.
An international ransomware group published what it claimed was a sample of the confidential data after the attack forced Genea to shut down for several days.
The group claiming responsibility reportedly posted screenshots on dark net sites, boasting it had captured hundreds of gigabytes of patient data dating back more than five years.
Genea has not said how many customers have been impacted.
"We understand this news may be concerning for you," Mr Yeo wrote to customers.
"We unreservedly apologise for any distress that this may cause you."
He said Genea had undertaken a comprehensive analysis of the published stolen details to identify those impacted by the breach and the personal information relating to them.
The provider has been granted a court-ordered injunction to prevent anyone from accessing, using, disseminating or publishing any of the illegally obtained data.
It has also partnered with national identity and cyber support service IDCare to guard against potential future lapses and to offer counselling to affected clients.
An IVF provider targeted in a cyber attack has written to patients confirming their stolen personal information has been posted on the dark net.
"The publication has occurred on a part of the dark web, which is a hidden part of the internet," according to Genea chief executive Tim Yeoh.
"This data is not readily searchable or accessible."
An investigation following a security breach at the company on February 14 determined its patient management systems were accessed by an unauthorised third party or "threat actor".
The impacted servers were a store for a raft of personal information including full names, emails, addresses, phone numbers, Medicare card numbers, private health insurance details, medical history, diagnoses, treatments, medications and prescriptions.
The health data included clinical information related to services provided by Genea and other companies.
There was no evidence the hackers stole financial information such as credit card details or bank account numbers.
An international ransomware group published what it claimed was a sample of the confidential data after the attack forced Genea to shut down for several days.
The group claiming responsibility reportedly posted screenshots on dark net sites, boasting it had captured hundreds of gigabytes of patient data dating back more than five years.
Genea has not said how many customers have been impacted.
"We understand this news may be concerning for you," Mr Yeo wrote to customers.
"We unreservedly apologise for any distress that this may cause you."
He said Genea had undertaken a comprehensive analysis of the published stolen details to identify those impacted by the breach and the personal information relating to them.
The provider has been granted a court-ordered injunction to prevent anyone from accessing, using, disseminating or publishing any of the illegally obtained data.
It has also partnered with national identity and cyber support service IDCare to guard against potential future lapses and to offer counselling to affected clients.
An IVF provider targeted in a cyber attack has written to patients confirming their stolen personal information has been posted on the dark net.
"The publication has occurred on a part of the dark web, which is a hidden part of the internet," according to Genea chief executive Tim Yeoh.
"This data is not readily searchable or accessible."
An investigation following a security breach at the company on February 14 determined its patient management systems were accessed by an unauthorised third party or "threat actor".
The impacted servers were a store for a raft of personal information including full names, emails, addresses, phone numbers, Medicare card numbers, private health insurance details, medical history, diagnoses, treatments, medications and prescriptions.
The health data included clinical information related to services provided by Genea and other companies.
There was no evidence the hackers stole financial information such as credit card details or bank account numbers.
An international ransomware group published what it claimed was a sample of the confidential data after the attack forced Genea to shut down for several days.
The group claiming responsibility reportedly posted screenshots on dark net sites, boasting it had captured hundreds of gigabytes of patient data dating back more than five years.
Genea has not said how many customers have been impacted.
"We understand this news may be concerning for you," Mr Yeo wrote to customers.
"We unreservedly apologise for any distress that this may cause you."
He said Genea had undertaken a comprehensive analysis of the published stolen details to identify those impacted by the breach and the personal information relating to them.
The provider has been granted a court-ordered injunction to prevent anyone from accessing, using, disseminating or publishing any of the illegally obtained data.
It has also partnered with national identity and cyber support service IDCare to guard against potential future lapses and to offer counselling to affected clients.
An IVF provider targeted in a cyber attack has written to patients confirming their stolen personal information has been posted on the dark net.
"The publication has occurred on a part of the dark web, which is a hidden part of the internet," according to Genea chief executive Tim Yeoh.
"This data is not readily searchable or accessible."
An investigation following a security breach at the company on February 14 determined its patient management systems were accessed by an unauthorised third party or "threat actor".
The impacted servers were a store for a raft of personal information including full names, emails, addresses, phone numbers, Medicare card numbers, private health insurance details, medical history, diagnoses, treatments, medications and prescriptions.
The health data included clinical information related to services provided by Genea and other companies.
There was no evidence the hackers stole financial information such as credit card details or bank account numbers.
An international ransomware group published what it claimed was a sample of the confidential data after the attack forced Genea to shut down for several days.
The group claiming responsibility reportedly posted screenshots on dark net sites, boasting it had captured hundreds of gigabytes of patient data dating back more than five years.
Genea has not said how many customers have been impacted.
"We understand this news may be concerning for you," Mr Yeo wrote to customers.
"We unreservedly apologise for any distress that this may cause you."
He said Genea had undertaken a comprehensive analysis of the published stolen details to identify those impacted by the breach and the personal information relating to them.
The provider has been granted a court-ordered injunction to prevent anyone from accessing, using, disseminating or publishing any of the illegally obtained data.
It has also partnered with national identity and cyber support service IDCare to guard against potential future lapses and to offer counselling to affected clients.

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Calls to make low-cost IVF more accessible in Australia

The Advertiser

16 hours ago

The Advertiser

Calls to make low-cost IVF more accessible in Australia

Vikki Mai Murphy always knew she wanted to be a mum but after months of negative pregnancy tests she and her partner Sean realised they would need some extra help. Following a round of intrauterine insemination (IUI), where prepared sperm is placed directly into a woman's uterus, Ms Murphy was thrilled to finally see a positive result for the first time. But almost eight weeks later, she discovered the pregnancy was ectopic and would have to be removed. In the resulting surgery she lost one of her fallopian tubes and doctors told her she would need to undergo IVF in order to successfully fall pregnant in future. "I just bawled and kept asking if I could still have my babies ... it just crushed me," Ms Murphy told AAP. The couple began to explore their IVF options and quickly realised the cost per round would be between $10,000 and $15,000. "We both just decided we wanted to throw everything at it and worry about the costs later," Ms Murphy said. For many people hoping to become parents, cost-of-living pressures are deterring them from fertility treatment. With Australia posting a record-low fertility rate in 2024, experts say low-cost IVF options will be crucial to addressing the decline in births. The average number of children born per woman was 1.51 in 2024, well below the 1.8 in 2014. In 2022, almost 109,000 IVF cycles were performed resulting in the birth of 20,058 babies. Almost half of Australians surveyed by Connect IVF said fertility services were not affordable. Connect IVF was one of the few affordable clinics in an industry that had been driven by a wave of corporatisation, director Brendan Ayres said. "(Our clinics) see a broad section of Australians and we get a disproportionate number of people from lower socioeconomic groups who need fertility treatment," he said. "We also have a number of patients who have been to other clinics and paid tens of thousands of dollars without success and are at their financial wits' end." Ms Murphy discovered Connect IVF by a chance internet search and the clinic was able to accommodate her for her next menstrual cycle. "The cost was substantially lower than other clinics because they bulk-billed the IVF cycle," she said. "It also allowed us to pay for a private obstetrician during my pregnancy, which we wouldn't have been able to afford if we'd had to pay up to $15,000 for the IVF." Ms Murphy ended up with four embryos from the round, which led to her three-year-old son Beau and one-year-old daughter Maia. "I love being a mum. It was such a journey and if I could have just looked into the future and seen my babies it would have made such a difference," she said. "People might think if they pay more money there might be more chance of having a baby, but I have friends who have paid thousands more than us with no success." While the Australian government supports parts of IVF through Medicare, it was not linked to the consumer price index, meaning the gap increased over time, Mr Ayres said. "Australia is a world leader in the technology of IVF but the funding hasn't followed," he said. "There also needs to be additions to Medicare item numbers to expand to all areas such as donor IVF which currently isn't covered." Vikki Mai Murphy always knew she wanted to be a mum but after months of negative pregnancy tests she and her partner Sean realised they would need some extra help. Following a round of intrauterine insemination (IUI), where prepared sperm is placed directly into a woman's uterus, Ms Murphy was thrilled to finally see a positive result for the first time. But almost eight weeks later, she discovered the pregnancy was ectopic and would have to be removed. In the resulting surgery she lost one of her fallopian tubes and doctors told her she would need to undergo IVF in order to successfully fall pregnant in future. "I just bawled and kept asking if I could still have my babies ... it just crushed me," Ms Murphy told AAP. The couple began to explore their IVF options and quickly realised the cost per round would be between $10,000 and $15,000. "We both just decided we wanted to throw everything at it and worry about the costs later," Ms Murphy said. For many people hoping to become parents, cost-of-living pressures are deterring them from fertility treatment. With Australia posting a record-low fertility rate in 2024, experts say low-cost IVF options will be crucial to addressing the decline in births. The average number of children born per woman was 1.51 in 2024, well below the 1.8 in 2014. In 2022, almost 109,000 IVF cycles were performed resulting in the birth of 20,058 babies. Almost half of Australians surveyed by Connect IVF said fertility services were not affordable. Connect IVF was one of the few affordable clinics in an industry that had been driven by a wave of corporatisation, director Brendan Ayres said. "(Our clinics) see a broad section of Australians and we get a disproportionate number of people from lower socioeconomic groups who need fertility treatment," he said. "We also have a number of patients who have been to other clinics and paid tens of thousands of dollars without success and are at their financial wits' end." Ms Murphy discovered Connect IVF by a chance internet search and the clinic was able to accommodate her for her next menstrual cycle. "The cost was substantially lower than other clinics because they bulk-billed the IVF cycle," she said. "It also allowed us to pay for a private obstetrician during my pregnancy, which we wouldn't have been able to afford if we'd had to pay up to $15,000 for the IVF." Ms Murphy ended up with four embryos from the round, which led to her three-year-old son Beau and one-year-old daughter Maia. "I love being a mum. It was such a journey and if I could have just looked into the future and seen my babies it would have made such a difference," she said. "People might think if they pay more money there might be more chance of having a baby, but I have friends who have paid thousands more than us with no success." While the Australian government supports parts of IVF through Medicare, it was not linked to the consumer price index, meaning the gap increased over time, Mr Ayres said. "Australia is a world leader in the technology of IVF but the funding hasn't followed," he said. "There also needs to be additions to Medicare item numbers to expand to all areas such as donor IVF which currently isn't covered." Vikki Mai Murphy always knew she wanted to be a mum but after months of negative pregnancy tests she and her partner Sean realised they would need some extra help. Following a round of intrauterine insemination (IUI), where prepared sperm is placed directly into a woman's uterus, Ms Murphy was thrilled to finally see a positive result for the first time. But almost eight weeks later, she discovered the pregnancy was ectopic and would have to be removed. In the resulting surgery she lost one of her fallopian tubes and doctors told her she would need to undergo IVF in order to successfully fall pregnant in future. "I just bawled and kept asking if I could still have my babies ... it just crushed me," Ms Murphy told AAP. The couple began to explore their IVF options and quickly realised the cost per round would be between $10,000 and $15,000. "We both just decided we wanted to throw everything at it and worry about the costs later," Ms Murphy said. For many people hoping to become parents, cost-of-living pressures are deterring them from fertility treatment. With Australia posting a record-low fertility rate in 2024, experts say low-cost IVF options will be crucial to addressing the decline in births. The average number of children born per woman was 1.51 in 2024, well below the 1.8 in 2014. In 2022, almost 109,000 IVF cycles were performed resulting in the birth of 20,058 babies. Almost half of Australians surveyed by Connect IVF said fertility services were not affordable. Connect IVF was one of the few affordable clinics in an industry that had been driven by a wave of corporatisation, director Brendan Ayres said. "(Our clinics) see a broad section of Australians and we get a disproportionate number of people from lower socioeconomic groups who need fertility treatment," he said. "We also have a number of patients who have been to other clinics and paid tens of thousands of dollars without success and are at their financial wits' end." Ms Murphy discovered Connect IVF by a chance internet search and the clinic was able to accommodate her for her next menstrual cycle. "The cost was substantially lower than other clinics because they bulk-billed the IVF cycle," she said. "It also allowed us to pay for a private obstetrician during my pregnancy, which we wouldn't have been able to afford if we'd had to pay up to $15,000 for the IVF." Ms Murphy ended up with four embryos from the round, which led to her three-year-old son Beau and one-year-old daughter Maia. "I love being a mum. It was such a journey and if I could have just looked into the future and seen my babies it would have made such a difference," she said. "People might think if they pay more money there might be more chance of having a baby, but I have friends who have paid thousands more than us with no success." While the Australian government supports parts of IVF through Medicare, it was not linked to the consumer price index, meaning the gap increased over time, Mr Ayres said. "Australia is a world leader in the technology of IVF but the funding hasn't followed," he said. "There also needs to be additions to Medicare item numbers to expand to all areas such as donor IVF which currently isn't covered." Vikki Mai Murphy always knew she wanted to be a mum but after months of negative pregnancy tests she and her partner Sean realised they would need some extra help. Following a round of intrauterine insemination (IUI), where prepared sperm is placed directly into a woman's uterus, Ms Murphy was thrilled to finally see a positive result for the first time. But almost eight weeks later, she discovered the pregnancy was ectopic and would have to be removed. In the resulting surgery she lost one of her fallopian tubes and doctors told her she would need to undergo IVF in order to successfully fall pregnant in future. "I just bawled and kept asking if I could still have my babies ... it just crushed me," Ms Murphy told AAP. The couple began to explore their IVF options and quickly realised the cost per round would be between $10,000 and $15,000. "We both just decided we wanted to throw everything at it and worry about the costs later," Ms Murphy said. For many people hoping to become parents, cost-of-living pressures are deterring them from fertility treatment. With Australia posting a record-low fertility rate in 2024, experts say low-cost IVF options will be crucial to addressing the decline in births. The average number of children born per woman was 1.51 in 2024, well below the 1.8 in 2014. In 2022, almost 109,000 IVF cycles were performed resulting in the birth of 20,058 babies. Almost half of Australians surveyed by Connect IVF said fertility services were not affordable. Connect IVF was one of the few affordable clinics in an industry that had been driven by a wave of corporatisation, director Brendan Ayres said. "(Our clinics) see a broad section of Australians and we get a disproportionate number of people from lower socioeconomic groups who need fertility treatment," he said. "We also have a number of patients who have been to other clinics and paid tens of thousands of dollars without success and are at their financial wits' end." Ms Murphy discovered Connect IVF by a chance internet search and the clinic was able to accommodate her for her next menstrual cycle. "The cost was substantially lower than other clinics because they bulk-billed the IVF cycle," she said. "It also allowed us to pay for a private obstetrician during my pregnancy, which we wouldn't have been able to afford if we'd had to pay up to $15,000 for the IVF." Ms Murphy ended up with four embryos from the round, which led to her three-year-old son Beau and one-year-old daughter Maia. "I love being a mum. It was such a journey and if I could have just looked into the future and seen my babies it would have made such a difference," she said. "People might think if they pay more money there might be more chance of having a baby, but I have friends who have paid thousands more than us with no success." While the Australian government supports parts of IVF through Medicare, it was not linked to the consumer price index, meaning the gap increased over time, Mr Ayres said. "Australia is a world leader in the technology of IVF but the funding hasn't followed," he said. "There also needs to be additions to Medicare item numbers to expand to all areas such as donor IVF which currently isn't covered."