HALIFAX — Nova Scotia’s cybersecurity minister has estimated that a data breach involving file-sharing platform MOVEit may have affected up to 100,000 people in the province.
An investigation by the ministry, led by Colton LeBlanc, revealed that social insurance numbers, addresses and banking information of current employees of the Nova Scotia Public Service may have been stolen by hackers.
As a result, employee data from the Nova Scotia Health Network and IWK Hospital, among others, were compromised.
According to Minister LeBlanc, this information was sent through the MOVEit platform because the provincial government uses the software to pay its workers.
The number of 100,000 victims can always be revised upwards or downwards depending on the outcome of the investigation.
The minister assured on Tuesday that the provincial government is acting swiftly to inform the affected people about the situation. These individuals will also be provided with a package to monitor their credit report.
Mr. LeBlanc urged anyone who finds a suspicious transaction on their credit account to contact their financial institution.
MOVEit software, developed by American company Ipswich, allows companies and organizations to transfer files and data between employees, departments and customers.
Ipswitch’s parent company, Progress Software, confirmed a vulnerability in its software last week, saying the issue could lead to unauthorized access to user settings and files.
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