The Sporting Shooters Association of New Zealand (SSANZ) believes the recent “Manage My Health” data breach highlights the serious risks firearm licence holders face as a result of over-reaching legal requirements involving health practitioners.
SSANZ has long expressed concern about data security, particularly where firearm licence information is recorded on patient files within third-party systems such as Manage My Health.
This breach represents a significant public safety failure, given that the Firearms Safety Authority (FSA) proactively discloses firearm licence holder status to general practitioners under the current Arms Act framework.
“If the same sensitive information exists in multiple places, and one of those copies is not adequately protected, then we have a serious problem,” said the President of SSANZ Thomas Hemphill. “In this case, patient files containing firearm licence information were clearly not held to the same security standard as data maintained by the Firearms Safety Authority. From a criminal perspective, why target the harder system when the same informaon can be obtained elsewhere with less effort?”
The Association warns that the claimed ‘public safety’ benefits of the current Arms Act are largely superficial.
“Instead of creating a single risk point through the firearms register, the legislation has effectively multiplied that risk by forcing the medical sector to store and manage the same sensitive data through proactive disclosure requirements,” said Thomas Hemphill. “This has created multiple ‘shopping lists’ for criminals rather than reducing risk. Whilst the FSA proactively delivers the information, there seems to be little concern about how that supplied information is then secured.”
Deep Concern
Regardless of the outcome of the ransom demand, SSANZ is deeply concerned about the position this breach places the firearms community in. Should this information fall into the wrong hands, it is likely to be sold and reused, permanently undermining public safety. There is also a very real risk that similar breaches will occur again.
SSANZ encourages all firearm licence holders to check whether their patient records, including licence status, are held within Manage My Health, and to review their firearm storage security as a precaution.
Members of the community should also speak directly with their GP about how firearm licence information is stored and protected within their patient information systems.
This incident once again demonstrates that no matter how compliant or careful firearm licence holders are, the security of their personal information cannot be guaranteed when it is held by third parties, whether government agencies or private providers. Until the Government is willing to objectively reassess these policies, the community must remain prepared to deal with the consequences of such failures.
Footnote:-For more information contact: Thomas Hemphill, president@sportingshooters.nz
Sporting Shooters Association of New Zealand Inc
Thanks for the warning SSNZ.
I hope politicians read this.
There have already been a number of leaks of Firearm Licence data direct from NZ Police, now we have our data being leaked from medical sources. Each leak puts the affected licence holder at risk of targeted theft or robbery to acquire their firearms by hardened criminals. This puts their whole family at risk. When will the Government and Police realise that all data storage in the digital world is open to hacking and thus provides a risk to public safety.
My wife is already nervous about getting a knock on the door from our friendly local mob members demanding my firearms and that was just from a potential breach of the firearms register; there must be thousands of citizens now in this situation given the scale of this “Don’t Manage My Health” data breach.
In line with my legal obligation (an activating circumstance) I registered my modest collection of firearms a couple of months ago. I do not for one moment believe that New Zealand is a safer place because of my compliance and nor should you. On the contrary I personally feel a good deal LESS safe having handed over the details of what firearms I own to people I do not know – some of whom are obviously not even Kiwis – and who I do not trust at all. Altogether a very unhappy situation to be in.
When will politicians realise that the firearm issue is caused by the society and its personality they created? It began with the 4th Labour government and Rogernomics neo-liberal dogma that tore the fabric of society apart and made it increasingly arrogant, selfish, disrespectful, angry and aggressive.
Since then successive governments have clung to the neo-liberal nonsense entrenching those undesirable traits.
In short people kill people and commit violence.
The tools for violence are not necessarily firearms but knives, fists, boots, baseball bats, screwdrivers and I remember in one case in the Manawatu, the pointed end of an umbrella, which as I recall, was fatal.
Well said Jack.
As I understand, firearms are only a minor percentage of weapons used in homicides.
I think research by the late Chaz Forsyth proved this?
All the firearms regulations in the world will not stop the illegal importation of firearms falling into the wrong hands.
Agree. Well done SSANZ And Keep up the hard work.
You do not have to sign the register until sometime in 2028 unless you purchase ammunition or a gun. If you have plenty of ammunition don’t buy any.
Government data breaches are a serious threat to the public. Thanks CORANZ for exposing this problem and bringing it into the spotlight.
In the UK the forced sharing of information on licensed firearms owners medical information with UK police has led to at least one death. A gamekeeper with depression was too scared to go to his doctor, least the doctor reported that condition to Police and he lost his firearms licence as a result. That would have cost him not just his firearms licence but also his job as a gamekeeper, the only job he ever wanted. Instead his depression remained untreated and he committed suicide. The National Gamekeepers Assn (UK) now has a fully trained nurse for members to contact off the record to prevent reoccurrence. In New Zealand we have nothing. It would seem to be just a matter of time before a pest controller or similar dies in exactly the same fashion here. And that’s not to mention, if criminals get our medical records, and then turn up at our family homes with intent to steal our guns, they will likely use extreme violence. There are already examples of this in NZ where criminals grievously threatened the lives of children to gain access to locked away guns. Gun records seemed to be caused such cases where the owners had no public profile as shooters. Just as gun registration is a criminal shopping list of no practical use for public safety, insecure medical records highlighting who and where the gun owners are shows just how stupid and ill thought out this whole Police approach has been. These records and this policy needs to be scrapped immediately or lives will be lost.