Canadians who rely on federal services have had their personal information compromised once again, after the Treasury Board admitted hackers accessed email addresses and phone numbers through a government contractor.Blacklock's Reporter says the board confirmed the breach late Monday, saying users should be on guard for suspicious emails or text messages claiming to be from the government. Officials refused to disclose how many accounts were impacted.The incident was traced back to 2Keys Corporation, a federal contractor responsible for online security. .A routine software update created a loophole that hackers exploited between August 3 and 15, allowing them to steal phone numbers linked to Canada Revenue Agency and Employment Department accounts, as well as email addresses tied to Canada Border Services Agency accounts.During that time, hackers sent out spam texts containing links to a fake government website designed to trick Canadians into giving up more personal information. The board would not say whether it planned to compensate victims for any losses.Federal officials have long admitted cyberattacks on Ottawa’s systems are constant. .Paul Wagner, then an assistant deputy minister, told MPs in 2022 that “our environment is attacked daily, hourly and every minute.” The Treasury Board itself has previously described data breaches as routine.Scott Jones, former head of the Canadian Centre for Cybersecurity, testified in 2021 that hackers continually target federal systems. He added that so much personal data has already been leaked in various breaches that “there is a tremendous amount of information available on each citizen.” Jones acknowledged he too had been a victim.
