The Ontario government began notifying about 360,000 citizens on Friday that their personal information was part of a vaccine database breach more than a year ago.
This database security breach occurred on November 16, 2021. In connection with this incident, the Ontario Provincial Police have charged two people — an Ontarian employee of the COVID-19 vaccine reservation center and a Quebecers from Vaudreuil-Dorion.
Since then, the government has ensured that it is working with the police and the privacy commissioner. The government maintains that it takes time to determine the extent and impact of such a security breach in the database.
The Ministry of Public and Business Services maintains that it has confidence in the vaccine reservation system.
“Ontario’s COVID-19 vaccine reservation system is regularly monitored and tested under Ministry of Health cybersecurity protocols,” he wrote in a statement. We remain confident that the reservation system continues to be a safe and secure tool for Ontarians to use. »
The government maintains that for around 95% of the 360,000 people affected, only their name and/or phone number were affected by the breach.
The OPP said at the time that they began to investigate after the Ontario government received reports of unwanted text messages received by people who had made an appointment for a vaccine or who had accessed their certificate. of vaccination on the ministry’s booking portal.
A 22-year-old man from Gloucester, Ontario, and a 22-year-old man from Vaudreuil-Dorion, Quebec have been charged with unauthorized use of a computer.
Police say the accused Ontarian was an employee of the vaccination reservation center at the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services. A government spokesman said he had worked through a contractor at a call center but was no longer employed by the government.
The government maintained at the time that no personal health information of citizens had been consulted.