Privacy of nearly 58,500 people breached in 2021 cyberattack on N.L. health care
More than 58,000 people in Newfoundland and Labrador had their private data exposed by the hackers behind a cyberattack on the province's health-care system last year.
Eastern Health, the province's largest health authority, said today that a review of a network drive accessed by the hackers is now complete, and it found that data belonging to about 58,200 patients was breached.
A statement from the health authority says another 280 staff or former staff members were also affected by the cyberattack, which was discovered on Oct. 30, 2021.
Eastern Health says the hackers accessed social insurance numbers belonging to fewer than 20 patients and banking information belonging to fewer than five patients.
Meanwhile, the office of the provincial information and privacy commissioner says its investigation into the attack won't be completed until March of 2023.
The commissioner previously said he expected to complete a report by October, but spokesman Sean Murray said in an email Wednesday that the office is now seeking help from a technical consultant.
The cyberattack knocked out information technology systems in the province's largest health authority, forcing officials to cancel thousands of appointments, including cancer care.
The Newfoundland and Labrador government has been tight-lipped about the cyberattack, refusing to say what type of attack occurred and what its motive was, or whether ransom was demanded. However, several cybersecurity experts have said the incident has all the markings of a ransomware attack, in which hackers encrypt or steal data to hold it hostage until a ransom is paid.
Government officials have defended their silence by noting that several investigations into the attack are underway, including the information and privacy commissioner's probe.
Murray says the technical consultant will ensure any findings related to technological aspects of the attack will be correct.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 8, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.