Biomedical expresses regret over data breach, upgrades cybersecurity
Biomedical Caledonia Medical Laboratory Limited says it has enhanced its cybersecurity and upgraded its IT infrastructure following a data breach in November 2024.
The company made the announcement in a statement issued late Wednesday following reports of the breach that allegedly resulted in tens of thousands of medical files being exposed.
In the statement, Biomedical did not state the extent of the breach, which it said was still being investigated. However, the company noted that it has been “informing our stakeholders including doctors and clients (patients)”.
It noted that its investigation, to date, has revealed that the incident resulted from what it said was the unauthorised access of its network and systems through an external vendor.
“At the time the breach was discovered, we immediately took the necessary steps to prevent further unauthorised access, hired a certified cybersecurity and forensic investigator and a team of cybersecurity specialists to address the issue. All the relevant government and law-enforcing stakeholders were also promptly advised,” the company said.
“We want to reassure our community that we understand the concerns this raises and are doing everything possible to protect their data and maintain the trust they have placed in us. We have selected a new managed services provider, implemented enhanced security measures, upgraded our entire IT infrastructure, deployed a Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) system as well as installed Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) among other actions,” the company continued, adding “These measures have strengthened our security posture. We have also revised the protocols for vendor relationships and bolstered our internal security policies.”
While expressing deep regret over the incident, the company said it was focused on “completing our investigation and communicating with stakeholders who may have been impacted.”
It said individuals who may want to reach out to the company directly, could make contact via phone numbers 876-618-0911 or 876-618-0912; WhatsApp 876-778-0670; or email – info@biomedicaljm.com.
