The Province of Nova Scotia has confirmed that a significant number of employees’ personal information from Nova Scotia Health, the IWK Health Centre, and the public service has been stolen in a global cybersecurity breach involving the MOVEit file transfer service. The breach, which occurred recently, has raised concerns about the security of sensitive employee data.
Preliminary findings from the provincial investigation reveal that the stolen information includes social insurance numbers, addresses, and banking details. The extent and type of information accessed by the perpetrators vary depending on the employer. Moreover, it is also suspected that the personal data of former employees of Nova Scotia Health and the public service may have been compromised as well.
At this stage, the exact number of affected employees is unknown, but initial estimates suggest that as many as 100,000 individuals may have been impacted. However, the number could change as the investigation progresses. The Province has assured that it will provide more accurate figures as soon as they become available.
While acknowledging the public’s concerns, Cyber Security and Digital Service Minister Colton LeBlanc emphasized the government’s commitment to identifying and notifying every affected individual. Minister LeBlanc stated, “We are fully aware of the concerns raised, and we share those concerns. Our primary focus is to identify each person impacted by this breach, and once we have that information, we will immediately inform them. We are working diligently to expedite the process and will continue to provide updates as we gather more details.”
The notification process will commence in the upcoming days and will extend over several weeks, as officials meticulously analyze each file to identify the affected individuals. In the meantime, current and former employees are advised to closely monitor their banking information for any suspicious activity and to proactively contact their respective financial institutions if necessary.
To assist those impacted, the Province will offer credit monitoring services. Additional information regarding the credit monitoring service will be provided as soon as possible.
Following the necessary security updates and investigations, the MOVEit file transfer service was brought back online on the afternoon of June 5. The government has implemented additional security measures and monitoring to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.