St. Luke's Medical Center probing data security incident on mobile app

Private healthcare provider St. Luke's Medical Center has said it is investigating a "data security incident" that it detected on its mobile application.

The National Privacy Commission (NPC) confirmed to GMA News Online on Tuesday that it has received a "data breach notification" from St. Luke’s Medical Center on October 30.

In a statement dated October 30, the healthcare company said it "wishes to inform the public that it recently identified unauthorized access to a platform supporting its mobile application, managed by a third-party service provider."

"The incident potentially affected certain personal information belonging to some of our patients and employees," it added.

St. Luke's said containment measures have been implemented and that it is engaging with independent cybersecurity experts to probe the incident.

However, the healthcare provider assured the public that operations remained unaffected.

"Individuals whose personal information may have been involved will be notified directly. St. Luke's sincerely apologizes for any concern this incident may cause and remains committed to protecting the privacy and security of our patients and employees," the hospital said.

The St. Luke's management has also apologized for the incident, saying it remained committed to safeguarding its stakeholders' data.

Meanwhile, the NPC said it is looking into the security incident involving St. Luke's, which runs hospitals in Quezon City and Taguig City.

"The Commission is currently reviewing the notification in accordance with its established procedures for handling personal data breach notifications. At this stage, we are unable to disclose further details as the matter undergoes the Commission's regular evaluation process," the agency said.

GMA News has reached out to St. Luke's Medical Center for further comment and will update the story once it responds. — VDV, GMA News