Significant data breach involving patient data reported at three Toronto hospitals
Patients at three Toronto hospitals may have had some of their personal data accessed following a cybersecurity breach but officials say the complexity of the incident is such that they have been unable to determine how many people were impacted.
The Scarborough Health Network has issued a public notice regarding an incident involving unauthorized access to data contained on “several” of its servers.
It says that the data which may have been accessed includes patient ID numbers, names, genders, dates of birth, email addresses, home addresses, OHIP numbers, procedure descriptions, lab reports, staff names,, insurance policy numbers, immunization status and diagnosis information.
“SHN takes the privacy and security of patient, staff and business contact and personal information very seriously, and we sincerely regret that this incident occurred,” SHN President and Chief Executive Officer Elizabeth Buller said in a news release. “I want to assure patients that we acted as swiftly as possible to contain and investigate the incident to ensure that our clinical operations were not impacted. Furthermore, all IT security improvements that were identified as a result of our investigation were immediately addressed.”
The cybersecurity breach was first discovered on Jan. 25 and the “unauthorized actor” was shut out of the system by Feb. 1, according to officials. For that reason, all patient data collected since February is not considered to be at risk.
The hospital network says experts are continuing to monitor the situation but “have not yet detected any malicious use of the data that was accessed.”
Officials with SHN are, however, advising individuals to monitor their accounts and “remain vigilant for incidents of fraud and identity theft.”
“Unfortunately, given the complexity of the Incident, we are not able to determine which individuals were directly impacted,” a post on the SHN website states.
The breach impacted servers with patient data from Birchmount Hospital, Scarborough General Hospital, Centenary Hospital, as well as Ajax Pickering Hospital prior to its amalgamation under Lakeridge Health.
The breach has been reported to the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario.
The Scarborough Health Network has set up a resource page for those who may have been impacted by the breach at the following link.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.