Health PEI reports cybersecurity incident involving personal health information

A cybersecurity incident involving a third-party service provider resulted in unauthorized access to a Health PEI file containing personal health information.

Health PEI is notifying the public following a cybersecurity incident in which an unauthorized person obtained a copy of a file containing personal health information.

The incident occurred within the systems of a company providing services to Health PEI. Health PEI says its own systems and those of the Government of Prince Edward Island were not compromised, and records stored within government systems were not improperly accessed.

The affected file was created in 2011 and relates to people who were eligible for health-care services in Prince Edward Island during or before that year, as well as some non-residents who received health services in the province between 2008 and 2011.

According to Health PEI, information contained in the file could include names, dates of birth, gender, personal health numbers, health-card issue and expiry dates, and Medicare eligibility information.

Based on information currently available, Health PEI says it considers the risk of the information being misused to be low. However, potentially affected individuals are being advised to remain alert for suspicious emails, text messages and telephone calls requesting personal information or claiming to involve health coverage, government programs or identity verification.

The incident has been reported to the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Prince Edward Island, which has opened a file. Health PEI says the third-party company is also reviewing its processes and implementing measures intended to reduce the likelihood of a similar incident.

The incident underscores the cybersecurity and privacy challenges facing health-care organizations as patient information increasingly moves through interconnected systems and external service providers.

Health PEI has established a dedicated contact point for people with questions or those wishing to report suspicious activity potentially related to the incident.

Source: Health PEI, Government of Prince Edward Island

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