The National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) has apologised after an email error exposed the email addresses of 467 people invited to a hereditary cancer event, with the Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) investigating the incident. The email was sent on Friday evening, 18 September, as an invitation to NCCS’ “Living with Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer (HBOC)” event. HBOC is an inherited condition linked to a higher risk of certain cancers and can affect both men and women. NCCS said the incident happened because of an administrative error. Instead of using the blind carbon copy (BCC) function, which hides recipients’ details from one another, the recipients’ email addresses were visible.
Names And Workplaces Could Be Identified
Reports said the exposed information included recipients’ email addresses, and in some cases their names and workplaces could also be identified through their workplace email accounts. The affected mailing list was linked to people associated with HBOC. Because of this, the exposure could reveal recipients’ association with a hereditary cancer condition to other invitees. NCCS chief operating officer and data protection officer Chong Pang Boon said that apart from email addresses, no NRIC numbers, phone numbers or other personal data were revealed. The centre said it has contacted recipients to provide support and address their concerns. It also asked recipients not to circulate the email or use or save the exposed email addresses.
NCCS Reports Incident To Authorities
NCCS said it has reported the incident to the Ministry of Health and the PDPC, and is investigating what happened while reviewing its internal processes. In response to media queries, the PDPC said it is aware of the incident and is investigating. The event, titled “Living with HBOC”, is organised for people with HBOC and their loved ones.
