Canada’s privacy watchdog is investigating a security breach that hit Global Affairs Canada (GAC).
The breach impacted an internal network between December 20th and January 24th before the federal department discovered it.
Personal information of users, including emails, contact details and calendars, was among the impacted information.
According to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC), the breach involved unauthorized individuals accessing GAC’s virtual private network (VPN). Employees utilized the network to connect to the department’s headquarters in Ottawa securely.
“The investigation was launched after the OPC received several complaints about the matter,” an announcement on the commissioner’s website reads.
The investigation will examine the adequacy of current safeguards aimed at protecting personal information and inspect compliance with the Privacy Act.
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