The findings said the company’s failure to protect personal health information resulted in a major cyber attack last year, a violation of privacy laws in both Ontario and B.C.
Cole Burston/The Canadian Press
The report notes the company failed to take reasonable steps to protect the personal health information in its electronic systems, failed to have adequate information-technology security policies in place, and collected more personal health information than was reasonably necessary.The cyber attack last October affected up to 15 million customers, almost all of them in Ontario and B.C.
“We strongly disagree. We have provided LifeLabs with detailed reasons why we reject their claim. Based on LifeLabs’s position throughout this investigation, we fully expect them to bring us to court to prevent us from publishing the report,” Mr. Beamish said in a statement. The B.C. Ministry of Health overhauled its contract with LifeLabs after the breach occurred. The new contract includes provisions that strengthen the privacy considerations, Mr. Dix said, and will incorporate the recommendations with the information and privacy commissioners of Ontario and B.C.
Mr. Dix said he is supportive of a proposal to give the province’s privacy watchdog the power, but said that decision will be part of a larger review of the Privacy Act which is still taking place. Health Minister Christine Elliott’s office said the province is engaged with stakeholders on the regulations but there is no date on when they will be introduced.“We thank the Information and Privacy Commissioner for their work and have every expectation that LifeLabs will implement the recommendations,” spokeswoman Hayley Chazan said.
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