Photo: RNZ / Simon Rogers
Jeremy Jones is a former cyber warfare operations officer at the UK Ministry of Defence and is now the head of data security for the digital technology company, Theta, based in Auckland. He says he sounded a warning about IT vulnerabilities at meetings with Ministry of Health officials 18 months ago.
Mr Jones believes confidential Waikato DHB patient information has already been stolen and encrypted by hackers responsible for a cyber attack on five hospitals in the region.
The major ransomware attack has knocked out the hospitals IT systems and put the entire public health system on high alert. He says New Zealand's health information infrastructure is creaky and old and almost impossible to keep secure.
