Data Breaches in NL Cyberattack Spread, Three of Four Health Regions Affected

Data Breaches in NL Cyberattack Spread, Three of Four Health Regions Affected
A hooded man holds a laptop computer as cyber code is projected on him in this illustration picture taken on May 13, 2017. (Kacper Pempel/Illustration)
The Canadian Press
11/11/2021
Updated:
11/11/2021

The Newfoundland and Labrador government says data from another of the province’s health authorities has been accessed by the hackers behind a debilitating cyberattack that has reduced health services in the province for nearly two weeks.

Health Minister John Haggie told reporters today that personal information of patients in the central health authority has been breached, and it’s likely employee data was accessed as well.

The Newfoundland and Labrador government announced Tuesday that personal information of patients and employees in two other health authorities had been accessed by the hackers who shut down health-care information technology systems on Oct. 30.

Haggie repeated today that an investigation is ongoing and there is no indication that any of the data has been misused.

The information breached includes patients’ names, addresses, health-care numbers, and reasons for visiting health-care facilities.

Government officials are refusing to divulge the nature of the attack on the health network or whether the hackers are asking for money.