Ontario should prevent the 'hack' that hit Quebec's vaccine passport app, expert warns
Ontario’s vaccine passport app should learn from an episode in Quebec where some people created their own QR codes and spoofed the identity of several Quebec politicians, says a Toronto cybersecurity expert.
Quebec’s government has complained to police about so-called hackers who were able to appear to obtain the QR codes of Quebec leaders -- including Premier Francois Legault -- something that should be avoided here, says Claudiu Popa.
“I like QR codes as much as anybody else. You can flash them and scan them on the fly. But they should be only used to transfer and communicate secure information and the best way to protect confidentiality is to use encryption,” he said.
Quebec has defended its system, saying the alleged breach exploited a small vulnerability that is being fixed.
“It’s a really precise loophole that is being corrected right away,” Eric Caire, Quebec’s minister for government digital transformation, told CTV Montreal last week.
“We will think about it if it’s a good idea to put more obstacles in the system, more constraints,” he said.
QR codes are short for “quick response” codes and are often used to store a string of characters such as a website or some names and dates in a speedy, machine-readable format.
In Quebec, the QR codes contain a person’s name, date of birth, and information about the vaccinations they have received.
Those codes are a central feature of the Quebec government’s vaccine passport system, which launched on Wednesday.
It appears the so-called hackers were able to obtain publicly available information such as the name and the birthdate, and used whether the politician had already disclosed his or her vaccination status.
Then it appears the person made their own QR code, which could be read by the vaccine passport app.
In Ontario, the vaccine passport will first be a printed or shown vaccine receipt, and an app is scheduled to come in only on October 22.
Ontario’s Associate Minister of Digital Government Kaleed Rasheed told a news conference that the government is aware of the issue in Quebec.
“The provincially designed app is going to be very secure and privacy protected,” he said.
If the QR code displayed by a customer contains an encrypted code which only the QR reader can decode, the app would be more secure, Popa said.
He also advised that people should not flash around their QR codes, and keep them private as they would with a credit card or a drivers’ licence.
“We have so many tools that could scan QR codes from a distance,” he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW From yearning for a change to cost of living, why some Canadians have left or may leave the country
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
NEW Capital gains tax change 'shortsighted' and 'sows division' business groups tell Freeland
Forging ahead with increasing Canada's capital gains inclusion rate 'sows division,' and is a 'shortsighted' way to improve the deficit, business groups are warning Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
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.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.
Florida deputies who fatally shot U.S. airman burst into wrong apartment, attorney says
Deputies responding to a disturbance call at a Florida apartment complex burst into the wrong unit and fatally shot a Black U.S. Air Force airman who was home alone when they saw he was armed with a gun, an attorney for the man's family said Wednesday.
Air Canada ranks near bottom on customer satisfaction: survey
Air Canada ranks below most other major North American airlines on customer satisfaction, with airfares a particular sore point, according to a new survey.
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.