Nova Scotians' personal information stolen in global security breach: province
The Nova Scotia government says it is investigating the theft of personal information stolen through a global privacy breach to a third-party file transfer system the province was using.
The province has yet to determine what information may have been taken or how many Nova Scotians could be affected by the breach to software company MoveIt's products, Cyber Security and Digital Solutions Minister Colton LeBlanc said in a Sunday news conference.
"At this time, staff are manually going through all of the files that were accessed to identify what information was stolen and who it belongs to," he said.
"Until all of this work is complete, we aren't able to say how many Nova Scotians have been impacted."
The MoveIt software made by Burlington, Massachusetts-based company Ipswitch allows organizations to transfer files and data between employees, departments and customers.
Progress Software, the parent company of Ipswitch, confirmed a vulnerability in its software last week, saying the issue could lead to potential unauthorized access of users' systems and files.
But the company notified the province of a critical vulnerability within its system on Thursday, LeBlanc said.
The province then took the service offline and installed a security update before bringing it back online Friday, only to be told further investigation was needed. Cyber security experts were then called in.
On Saturday evening.
LeBlanc said the investigation gave the province "a high degree of confidence that yes, there has been a breach of personal information."
"We did not want to wait for all the answers before we told Nova Scotia what we are dealing with," he said.
"I know there are questions we can't answer right now because we're still analyzing the full extent."
LeBlanc would not say which departments had been using MoveIt or whether he was aware of other provinces or territories affected by the breach.
He said the province has informed Tricia Ralph, Nova Scotia's information and privacy commissioner, of the breach and intends to create a website offering the public more information on the situation.
He also promised the province will directly notify Nova Scotians who have been impacted.
"I know that this is a stressful time for many Nova Scotians right now and I want to reassure all Nova Scotians that we are working tirelessly to resolve this issue as quickly and as efficiently as possible," LeBlanc said.
Progress Software did not answer questions about how many Canadians may be affected and what other governments or businesses in the country have used its products.
But it said it promptly launched an investigation after discovering a vulnerbility, alerted customers, provided immediate mitigation steps and developed a security patch within 48 hours.
"We are also continuing to work with industry-leading cybersecurity experts to investigate the issue and ensure we take all appropriate response measures," the company said in an email.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 4, 2023.
For more Nova Scotia news visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
Blind Sask. boy heading to international braille competition hopes to increase accessibility for visually impaired
A Saskatchewan boy who qualified for an international braille competition in Los Angeles next month hopes he can inspire change in his home province.
'A step forward': New screening criteria for sperm donors takes effect
Canadians looking to grow their families with the assistance of sperm or egg donations should soon have more options for donors as the federal health agency does away with longstanding restrictions criticized as discriminatory.