Health PEI says an “unauthorized person” accessed a file containing personal information created in 2011 in a cybersecurity incident, but they claim the risk is low. The organization said the incident happened to a company providing services to Health PEI, which allowed the unauthorized person to access the file. The affected file included first and last names, birth dates, death dates, genders, personal health numbers and Medicare eligibility information. Health PEI someone’s information may be on the file if they had a provincial health card in or before 2011, or if they were a non-resident who received health services in P.E.I. between 2008 and 2011. “Based on the information available today, we believe the risk that this information will be misused is low,” said Laurae Kloschinsky, interim CEO of Health PEI, in a news release. “We recognize that learning about a privacy incident involving personal health information may be concerning. We take the privacy and protection of personal health information seriously and are notifying the public to be transparent and to ensure potentially affected individuals are aware of the incident.” Health PEI says the cybersecurity incident was limited to the company. Health PEI and the provincial government’s systems were not compromised or impacted. The incident has been reported to the Information and Privacy Commissioner. Law enforcement has also been notified. For more P.E.I. news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
