DH probes suspected misuse of HIV service email
The Department of Health (DH) said on Saturday that the email account for its HIV testing service website was suspected of being misused. Emails and text messages had been sent to the public under the guise of the department, claiming the recipients were exposed to Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and should seek medical advice and get tested as soon as possible, according to the DH. The…
The Department of Health (DH) has launched an investigation into the suspected misuse of its HIV testing service email account, it was reported on Saturday. Emails and text messages were sent out under the department's name, warning the public that they had been exposed to Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and recommending immediate medical advice and testing, the DH disclosed.
DH officials emphasized that they would not notify individuals in this manner. "Upon discovering the incident last night, DH staff immediately conducted a comprehensive inspection of the network system with the outsourced service provider and investigated the incident overnight," the department stated. As of now, no data loss or leakage has been identified.
The DH promptly reported the incident to the police and informed the Digital Policy Office. Additionally, the DH suspended its HIV testing service website on Saturday to facilitate the investigation; however, the public can still secure HIV tests by telephone.
Written by urgent.news from RTHK English's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
Also reported by 1 other outlet
- DH probes suspected misuse of HIV service email news.rthk.hk
