Nova Scotia’s Cybersecurity Breach Affects Region of Queens Municipality
June 15, 2023: A cybersecurity intrusion occurred on May 29 and 30, 2023, influencing data files within the MOVEIt file transfer system employed by the Nova Scotia government and other organizations for transmitting large files. The breach had a direct impact on the Region of Queens Municipality, which had approximately 17,500 municipal tax account and water utility files compromised.
The Region of Queens Municipality has been in close collaboration with the Nova Scotia province and has conducted a thorough examination of the impacted files. The compromised data include tax account information and municipal water utility system details, such as account numbers, names, addresses, payment sums, and account balances. Fortunately, no personal, sensitive, or financial data were stored in the files and hence were not revealed during the breach. Duplicate names complicate the estimation of the exact number of affected individuals, businesses, and organizations.
The public is encouraged to stay vigilant against fraudsters who might exploit such incidents. It is crucial to note that the Region of Queens Municipality does not contact property owners or water utility customers for account payment details. Payments can be made by credit card by calling 902-354-3453, or online at here, or in person at the Administration Building, 249 White Point Road, Liverpool. Residents are advised to monitor their financial transactions and alert their banks regarding any discrepancies.
Even though phone numbers were not exposed in the breach, residents are advised against sharing personal details over the phone, including financial information, social insurance numbers, birth dates, and so on.
Should the provincial government inform you of your data being affected in the breach, rest assured they will not ask for your health card, social insurance number, banking information, other personal information, or money. Beware of phishing or scam attempts that may leverage such a privacy breach to extract additional data. Ensure your safety by not providing your personal information if asked.
For further updates, please visit the dedicated website set up by the province: https://novascotia.ca/privacy-breach/.