Hackers may have accessed 22 B.C. government inboxes, data on 19 employees: Farnworth

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 03/06/2024 (728 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

VANCOUVER – British Columbia’s public safety minister says 22 government email inboxes with sensitive personal information on 19 employees may have been accessed during a cyber attack on the province’s networks in April.

Mike Farnworth says there’s no indication the general public’s information was compromised and investigators have not identified any misuse of the information the criminals may have accessed.

Farnworth says the investigation is continuing and evidence still points to state or state-sponsored actors as those responsible.

The minister would not provide details on where the employees work who were swept up in the breach, but says they are with the public service, not the government cabinet.

Farnworth says the employees have been notified and will be receiving credit monitoring and help with identity protection.

The hack is one of several recent cyber breaches in the province, including one at the First Nations Health Authority and an attack that forced retailer London Drugs to shut down stores across Western Canada for more than a week.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 3, 2024.

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version said the cyber attack happened last month. In fact, it was discovered in April.