As part of the on-going investigation into a cyberattack that impacted health care IT systems in Newfoundland and Labrador, it has been determined that some personal information and personal health information was accessed from the systems.

The appropriate authorities have been contacted, including the Newfoundland and Labrador Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner and the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security. The RCMP have been notified and are continuing to investigate the incident. All government entities involved are cooperating fully with the authorities.

While the investigation is ongoing and information may change, it has been identified that some personal information is involved, as follows:

• Some information about current and former employees and patients of:
  • Eastern Health from approximately the last 14 years.
  • Labrador Grenfell Health for approximately the last nine years.
• Impacts to Central Health data are under investigation.
• There is currently no evidence of data being accessed relating to Western Health employees or patients.
• There is currently no evidence of information being accessed relating to employees of the Newfoundland and Labrador Centre for Health Information.
• Employee information involved may include: names, addresses, contact information and Social Insurance Numbers (SIN).
• There is no evidence that banking information of employees was involved.
• In addition, it is known that some patient information is involved which is comprised of basic information that is typically logged and used when a person comes for an appointment, such as name, address, health care number (MCP), reason for visit, their doctor, phone number, birth date, email address for notifications, in-patient/out-patient, maiden name, marital status.
• At this time, there is no evidence of vendor information being accessed in this incident.

A review is ongoing to determine if any other information is affected in the incident and further updates will be provided as appropriate.

We will be providing credit monitoring services. Options are currently being explored and we will have more information on this in the days ahead.

Everyone is encouraged to remain vigilant regarding your information. If you notice any unusual activity in any of your accounts or your account statements, please contact your service providers, such as your bank, as soon as possible.

Please go here for more information. A provincial call centre number has also been established at 1-833-718-3021 and will be operational as of 10:00 a.m. tomorrow morning.

Further steps you can take to protect your information can be found in the backgrounder below.

The continued patience of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians is appreciated, as systems and operations are restored in a safe and secure manner. Efforts to restore health care IT systems continue in collaboration with the Department of Health and Community Services, Newfoundland and Labrador Centre for Health Information (NLCHI) and the Regional Health Authorities (RHAs).

Updates will continue to be provided as well as next steps in the process, as they become available.

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Media contacts
Meghan McCabe
Office of the Premier
709-729-3960
meghanmccabe@gov.nl.ca

Lesley Clarke
Health and Community Services
709-729-6986, 699-2910
lesleyclarke@gov.nl.ca

Emily-Jane Gillingham
Justice and Public Safety
709-729-5524, 730-4607
EmilyGillingham@gov.nl.ca

Gina MacArthur
Eastern Health
709-777-1412
Gina.MacArthur@easternhealth.ca

Amanda MacNeil
Labrador-Grenfell Health
amanda.macneil@lghealth.ca

BACKGROUNDER

Steps You Can Take to Further Protect Your Information

Copy of Credit Report: To obtain a free copy of your credit report, you can contact the two Canadian credit reporting companies directly. Contact information for the two Canadian credit reporting companies is:

Equifax Canada
National Consumer Relations
P.O. Box 190, Station Jean-Talon
Montreal, QC H1S 2Z2
www.equifax.ca
(800) 465-7166

TransUnion Canada
Consumer Relations
3115 Harvester Road,
Suite 201 Burlington ON L7N 3N8
www.transunion.ca
(800) 663-9980

If you suspect that your social insurance number is being used fraudulently, Service Canada advises taking the following steps:
Review Your Account Statements and Notify Law Enforcement of Suspicious Activity:  As a precautionary measure, we recommend that you remain vigilant, as always, to the possibility of fraud and identity theft by reviewing your financial statements and accounts regularly for any unauthorized activity and taking the steps below if you suspect that fraud or identity theft have occurred.

1. File a complaint with the police. Ask for the case reference number and the officer’s name and telephone number. If you choose to obtain a copy of the police report, make sure it states your name and SIN.
2. Contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501. The national anti-fraud call centre is jointly managed by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Ontario Provincial Police and Competition Bureau Canada. They provide advice and assistance about identity theft.
3. Call Canada’s two national credit bureaus. Ask for a copy of your credit report. Review it for any suspicious activity. Also check to see if your credit file should be flagged (fees may be applicable). To obtain additional information regarding fees and other requirements, please contact: Equifax: 1-800-465-7166 and TransUnion: 1-800-663-9980.
4. Inform your bank and creditors by phone and in writing about any irregularities.
5. Report any irregularities in your mail delivery to Canada Post, for example, opened envelopes, missing financial statements or documents.
6. Visit a Service Canada office and bring all the necessary documents with you proving fraud or misuse of your SIN. Also bring an original identity document (your birth certificate, or immigration or citizenship document). One of our officials will review your information and provide you with assistance and guidance.

For further information about protecting your Social Insurance Number, please visit Service Canada.

Fraud Alert: You may want to discuss with Equifax and TransUnion whether you should have a fraud alert placed on your credit report by contacting them using the contact information above.

Alert the CRA: You can report suspected fraud or identify theft with the Canada Revenue Agency by calling them at 1-800-959-8281.

Additional Information: For additional information about steps you can take to protect your information, please see Digital Government and Service NL “Reducing the Risk of Identity Theft”.