What has happened?

IntraCare responded to a cyber incident involving unauthorised access to its network on Friday, 20 March 2026. As soon as this was detected, we acted immediately to contain the issue.

Out of an abundance of caution, we made the decision to shut down our information technology (IT) systems and to defer patient procedures for the week beginning 23 March, while we investigated the situation and worked to bring our systems back online. We communicated directly with those patients and affected specialists to ensure appropriate rescheduling or relocation, and to maintain continuity of care.

We engaged independent cybersecurity experts CyberCX, one of Australasia’s leading specialist cybersecurity organisations, to undertake a forensic investigation of the incident and work alongside the IntraCare IT team, government agencies and the police. We also notified the Office of the Privacy Commissioner.

What data may have been affected?

IntraCare’s cyber response team has been working at pace to identify if patient data has been affected in the incident.

Due to the nature of the breach and the internal security controls in place to protect the data, this is a technically challenging process and investigation into whether any data has been accessed continues. If it is identified that patient or staff information has been accessed, we will contact those individuals directly.

Has the data been misused or leaked online?

As soon as we became aware of unauthorised access we, through our cyber experts, immediately commenced monitoring for the unauthorised use or distribution of any potentially affected data. We will continue this monitoring for the foreseeable future.

Who caused this incident?

Our cyber experts continue to investigate the cause of the incident.

Is there anything I should do?

It is a fact that cyber-related scams are ever-increasing and we recommend caution – not only due to this event – but also as cyber incidents more broadly continue to rise

The following sites provide useful information on how you can stay cyber safe:

• National Cyber Security Centre: provides general online safety advice.; 
• Office of the Privacy Commissioner: provides general advice on protection of personal information; 
• New Zealand Police via their Fraud/Scam/Cyber page

Please take care when receiving emails or texts that seem unusual or ask for sensitive information or password resets. If you get a message you weren’t expecting, especially one asking for payment or personal details, it is best not to reply. Verify the request through a trusted source before responding. 

If something doesn’t look right, you can let the New Zealand Police know using their Fraud/Scam/Cyber page. 

What is being done to prevent this from happening again?

Cybercrime is evolving rapidly and we continue to invest heavily in cyber security measures to reduce the risk of future incidents. We are also working with third party experts, including across a range of government agencies and the health sector, to share key learnings from this incident and strengthen collective resilience.

What is being done to look after patients?

Trust is fundamental in healthcare. That’s why we’re being open about what happened, responding immediately and putting safeguards in place.

We plan to resume medical procedures on Monday 30 March and will contact scheduled patients directly by phone. Please be assured that the quality and safety of the medical care we provide remains unaffected by this incident.

Has this happened before?

We have not previously had a cyber incident.