Sask privacy commissioner investigates cyberattack LifeLabs: The company estimates that 93,000 Saskatchewan residents would have used the online reservation system at some point, which does not include health card numbers or exam results, and be affected.

For the first time, the Saskatchewan Privacy and Information Commissioner could be part of a multi-jurisdictional inquiry as he and privacy watchers in Ontario and British Columbia investigate a data breach reported by LifeLabs, one of the largest providers. of Canada Medical Lab Services.

On Tuesday, the company, which has operations in only three provinces, announced that it had been targeted by a cyberattack involving unauthorized access to its systems containing names, addresses, login information, birth dates, customer health card numbers and lab test results. , Mainly affecting clients in BC and Ontario

The chairman and CEO of LifeLabs said in a statement posted on the company's website that it paid a ransom and now offers its customers free one-year identity protection and fraud protection.

Sask Privacy Commissioner investigates LifeLabs cyberattack

In Saskatchewan, LifeLabs' operations are limited to pickup at its 10 locations in Saskatoon and Regina; He is a subcontractor to the Saskatchewan Health Authority.

A spokesman for the company said that only customer names and login information used in its booking system were potentially exposed to the cyberattack. The company estimates that 93,000 Saskatchewan residents would have at some point used the online booking system, which does not include health card numbers or exam results, and would be affected.

LifeLabs reported the breach to Saskatchewan's privacy commissioner Ron Kruzeniski's office on Friday. Kruzeniski said he has contacted the privacy commissioners in Ontario and British Columbia and asked if Saskatchewan could be added to research in those provinces.

"My office has not had the opportunity to collaborate with other commission offices in this way," he said. "There was a situation where you were about to collaborate with the privacy commissioner in another jurisdiction, but this would be the first such inquiry, if the other commissioners agree to work together."

The other offices were notified of the violation in front of the Saskatchewan office. According to a Vancouver Sun report, Lifelabs contacted B.C. privacy commissioner Michael McEvoy on November 1.

The research is expected to add pressure to an office that is already experiencing a buildup of review reports. Kruzeniski said he still doesn't know exactly how much pressure he will add.

"I look forward to working with B.C. and Ontario ... because it looks like they were contacted earlier, which will be part of the preliminary work. But it will definitely add a little pressure to our office."

A spokesman for LifeLabs said that the company informed authorities in different jurisdictions based on when it received confirmation about the different systems affected by the violation. It first confirmed that a system, which contained health card information and laboratory test results, was affecting B.C. and Ontario's customers, were raped and notified. He later confirmed that a second system containing information from customers using his customer reservation system was also exposed and notified to Saskatchewan authorities.

LifeLabs collects blood samples from their Saskatoon and Regina locations and is provided by the Saskatchewan Health Authority for analysis. In B.C. and Ontario, LifeLabs provides what the spokesman termed "end-to-end service".