The Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) is investigating a data breach involving the confidential financial records of 15 of its Members of Parliament (MPs).The Globe and Mail reports that the leaked documents contain details of the individuals’ personal financial information, including mortgage and loan histories, debts, and records showing whether or not payments were made on time.Tory spokesperson Sarah Fischer said in a statement that the CPC became aware of the breach on Monday.“We are aware of an alleged breach and have been in direct communication with the individual victims of the illicit information disclosure,” Fischer said, adding that the incident has been reported to both the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security and the RCMP.“We will work tirelessly to hold to account anyone who is responsible for the illegal distribution of confidential information.”The records were emailed to party insiders by someone using the alias “Rory McTory,” which is a moniker the party has previously used as a placeholder for internal test websites, document mock-ups, and other purposes. The records would have been submitted to the party when the MPs were seeking nominations..Data breach hits dozens of Manitoba school divisions, exposes student information.A copy of the email with the files was obtained by The Globe and Mail.The MPs represent ridings across Canada, most of whom were first elected in April.Among the most high-profile are figures such as Jamil Jivani (Bowmanville— Oshawa North) and Billy Morin (Edmonton — Northwest), the former Chief of the Enoch Cree Nation.None of the MPs whose information was exposed have made a statement. The CPC says it is continuing to investigate the latest breach and to assess the damage.This isn’t the first time the CPC has faced cybersecurity issues.In 2011, a group calling itself LulzRaft claimed responsibility for breaching the party’s website, posting a fabricated story about then–prime minister Stephen Harper and releasing donor information.Also, during the 2020 leadership contest, one campaign accused another of obtaining data improperly through a volunteer.
