Written by Rutland Smith with the assistance of artificial intelligence.
As a psychologist, your patients trust you with their most sensitive personal information. That trust must also encompass how you store and protect their data. Cybercriminals are increasingly targeting healthcare professionals, including psychologists, due to the high value and sensitivity of patient records. A data breach can result in significant harm to your patients and your practice.
Your Legal and Ethical Responsibilities
Under Australian law, psychologists have a legal duty to protect their patient information from unauthorised access, loss, or disclosure. This includes digital data stored on computers, phones, emails, or in the cloud.
Here’s what you need to know:
- Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) – Psychologists are covered by the Australian Privacy Principles. You must take “reasonable steps” to protect personal information.
- Notifiable Data Breaches (NDB) Scheme – If your patient data is breached, and it’s likely to cause serious harm, you must notify affected individuals and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC).
- APHRA Code of Conduct – You are expected to take proactive steps to maintain the privacy and confidentiality of patient records, including protecting digital systems.
- Medicare and Health Records Legislation – If you store health records electronically, you are required to secure them adequately.
Penalties for non-compliance can include regulatory investigations, fines, and de-registration.
What Could Go Wrong? – A Realistic Example
Breaches can have devastating consequences for the practice but more importantly for the patients you care for. Here is an example of what could go wrong.
Imagine your practice management system or email account is hacked. A cybercriminal now has access to sensitive information, including:
- Session notes
- Patient names and contact details
- GP referrals
- Mental health plans
- Medicare details
- Prescriptions
They send an email to one of your patients:
“We know you’ve been seeing a psychologist about your anxiety and trauma. If Dr. Smith doesn’t pay us $5,000 in Bitcoin in the next 72 hours, we will send your full psychological records to your employer, your family and publish them online.”
The cybercriminal may also send similar threats to all your patients and referral partners, urging them to pressure you to pay. This is cyber extortion, and it is happening to small practices in Australia and around the world right now.
This example highlights the critical need for robust cybersecurity measures to protect your practice and patients.
What Should You Be Doing?
To comply with the Privacy Act and protect patient data, you must take reasonable steps to secure your systems. Here’s what you should be doing:
- Using secure passwords and multi-factor authentication – Ensure your passwords are strong and unique, and enable multi-factor authentication for an added layer of security
- Keep software up to date – Regularly update your software to protect again vulnerabilities and security threats
- Regularly back up data – Maintain regular backups of your data to prevent loss in case of a breach or system failure
- Encrypt sensitive files – Use encryption to protect sensitive information from unauthorised access
- Restrict access to only those who need it – Limit access to patient data to essential personnel only
- Have a data breach response plan – Develop a plan to quickly respond to and mitigate the impact of a data breach
In Australia, the courts have determined that taking reasonable steps to secure patient data includes adhering to the Essential Eight Cybersecurity risk mitigation framework, as published by the Federal Government’s Australian Cybersecurity Centre (ACSC).
However, implementing these measures on your own can be overwhelming—especially while running a busy practice.
Why Work With a Technology Services & Security Provider (TSSP)?
A TSSP specialises in managing technology and cybersecurity for businesses like yours. Instead of juggling privacy compliance, software updates, backups, antivirus, and breach responses on your own, a TSSP handles these tasks for you.
Here’s what a good TSSP will do:
✔ Set up secure systems (email, cloud, backups)
✔ Monitor for threats 24/7
✔ Assist you to be compliant with the Privacy Act and NDB Scheme
✔ Help you recover quickly if something goes wrong
✔ Provide you peace of mind so you can focus on your patients
It’s like having a digital practice security manager that never sleeps.
Ready to Take Action?
At Harvey Norman Technology for Business, we understand the challenges of protecting sensitive patient data. Our secure, business-grade IT and cybersecurity solutions are designed to help small practices ensure the confidentiality of patient information. We are committed to making big business-grade IT solutions affordable for small businesses, offering simple, reliable, and affordable services.
Harvey Norman Technology for Business offers customised cybersecurity services for psychologists, including:
- Affordable monthly packages
- Local support you can speak to
- A free Cybersecurity Health Check based on the Essential Eight Risk Mitigation framework (valued at $499)
Let us help you protect what matters most—your patients and your practice.
Contact us today for a free, no obligation consultation
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