B.C. health minister forced to address years-old data breach after investigation

During a heated exchange in the legislature, British Columbia's Health Minister Adrian Osborne confronted questions regarding a significant data breach affecting thousands of health-care workers. The breach, revealed by an RCMP investigation, involved a document containing sensitive personal information for roughly 20,000 employees of Interior Health from 2003 to 2009, including social insurance numbers and home addresses. Although no patient data was compromised, the situation has led to reports of fraudulent loans and tax refunds tied to some employees’ information. Minister Osborne confirmed that Interior Health is fully cooperating with the RCMP and has engaged external security experts to conduct dark web searches, ensuring that personal information has not surfaced there. The health authority is prioritizing the notification of all affected individuals and is offering credit monitoring services to help protect their identities.

This incident highlights the critical importance of data privacy in the health sector, especially as breaches can have long-lasting repercussions for individuals. The ongoing situation calls for increased vigilance and robust measures to secure sensitive data in health care. As the investigation progresses, affected employees are encouraged to contact Interior Health or the RCMP for assistance.