Pathology Lab Fined $5.8 Million Over Leak of Patient Data

In a historic decision, the court found the company liable for inadequate protections and insufficient follow-up after the leak.
Pathology Lab Fined $5.8 Million Over Leak of Patient Data
A pathologist at work. Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images
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The parent company of a pathology laboratory has been ordered to pay $5.8 million in civil penalties for inadequately protecting patient data, in the first case brought under the Commonwealth Privacy Act.

The Federal Court found that Australian Clinical Labs (ACL) breached privacy law after a cyberattack on its Medlab Pathology business in 2022 led to the unauthorised access and theft of personal information belonging to more than 223,000 people.

Rex Widerstrom
Rex Widerstrom
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Rex Widerstrom is a New Zealand-based reporter with over 40 years of experience in media, including radio and print. He is currently a presenter for Hutt Radio.