BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association
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Aflac finds suspicious activity on US network that may impact Social Security numbers, other data
Aflac says that it has identified suspicious activity on its network in the U.S. that may impact Social Security numbers and other personal information, calling the incident part of a cybercrime campaign against the insurance industry. The company said Friday that the intrusion was stopped within hours. “We continue to serve our customers as we…
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Billions of login credentials have been leaked online, Cybernews researchers say
NEW YORK (AP) — Researchers at cybersecurity outlet Cybernews say that billions of login credentials have been leaked and compiled into datasets online, giving criminals “unprecedented access” to accounts consumers use each day. According to a report published this week, Cybernews researchers have recently discovered 30 exposed datasets that each contain a vast amount of…
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CSIS says it took steps against dozens of employees over misconduct last year
Canada’s spy service says it closed 34 misconduct cases last year and concluded the allegations were founded in 33 of the cases. In its latest annual report, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service says disciplinary or administrative measures were taken in the cases that ranged from verbal warnings to dismissal. CSIS says there were 50 new…
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Schools tossed COVID cash into wind: expert
More than $3 million set aside to improve air quality in schools during the COVID-19 pandemic has been spent on duct cleaning — a measure not backed by research as an effective way to limit infectious-disease transmission. Manitoba earmarked nearly $11.3 million, including provincial and federal pots of about $6.8 million and $4.5 million, respectively,…
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Twitter leak exposes 235 million email addresses from hack
Personal emails linked to 235 million Twitter accounts hacked some time ago have been exposed according to Israeli security researcher Alon Gal — making millions vulnerable to having their accounts compromised or identities exposed if they have used the site anonymously to criticize oppressive governments, for instance. Gal, who is the co-founder and chief technology…
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Alberta government won’t release data on snowpack contamination from coal mines
EDMONTON — The Alberta government is refusing to release information on toxic contaminants in snowpacks downwind from mountaintop removal coal mines. The data was collected by two senior provincial government scientists who conducted research into the impact of windblown dust from mines in British Columbia on a pristine Alberta alpine lake. They recently published a…
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Alex Jones lawyer suspended 6 months over records release
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A lawyer for conspiracy theorist Alex Jones has been suspended from practicing law in Connecticut for six months for improperly giving Jones’ other attorneys in Texas confidential documents, including the medical records of relatives of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. The ruling by Judge Barbara Bellis on Thursday…
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Ransomware group LockBit apologizes saying ‘partner’ was behind SickKids attack
TORONTO — A global ransomware operator issued an apology and offered to unlock the data targeted in a ransomware attack on Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children, a move cybersecurity experts say is rare, if not unprecedented, for the infamous group. LockBit, a ransomware group the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation has called one of the…
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Toronto’s SickKids says it is ‘aware’ of online statement offering free decryptor
Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children says it is aware of an online statement from a ransomware group that offers a decryptor to restore systems impacted by a mid-December cybersecurity incident. Canada’s largest pediatric health-care centre says in a news release issued Sunday evening that the statement includes “an offer of a free decryptor” after some…
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Chief justice: Judges’ safety ‘essential’ to court system
WASHINGTON (AP) — With security threats to Supreme Court justices still fresh memories, Chief Justice John Roberts on Saturday praised programs that protect judges, saying that “we must support judges by ensuring their safety.” Roberts and other conservative Supreme Court justices were the subject of protests, some at their homes, after the May leak of…