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
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.