Interior Health, responsible for healthcare in British Columbia’s southern Interior, issued a warning about a potential privacy breach affecting thousands of employees. An Royal Canadian Mounted Police investigation uncovered a document containing sensitive information such as social insurance numbers and home addresses for around 20,000 individuals who worked at Interior Health between 2003 and 2009. Although the document did not include patient data, the breach poses significant risks to affected employees’ personal information.
Vernon North Okanagan RCMP disclosed that no arrests or charges have been made in connection with the discovery of the document, emphasizing the importance of affected individuals taking necessary precautions to safeguard their data. Interior Health urged anyone who worked during the specified years to promptly verify if their information was compromised and reassured that no personal data from the document has been exposed online. In response to the breach, Interior Health has engaged external security experts to conduct a thorough review, underscoring their commitment to ensuring the protection of personal information.
With privacy as a top priority, Interior Health Vice-President of Digital Health, Brent Kruschel, asserted the organization’s dedication to safeguarding personal information. The urgency of the situation underscores the importance of swift action to mitigate potential risks and protect the affected employees from the consequences of the breach.
