(January 28, 2022) – Loyola O’Driscoll, PC Official Opposition Shadow Minister for Digital Government and Service NL and MHA for Ferryland, is asking Digital Government Minister Sarah Stoodley to provide an update on the healthcare cyber-attack that was discovered in October and that paralyzed healthcare delivery in the province.

The last week of January is data privacy week and it has been over a month since the last update on what some experts have described as the worst cyber-attack in Canadian history. Many government systems are antiquated which should be concerning for everyone in Newfoundland and Labrador.

“The people of our province deserve to be updated on the fallout of the cyber-attack that paralyzed government healthcare systems and compromised privacy of both healthcare workers and the general public. It is astounding that the current government has been silent for so long,” said O’Driscoll.

“We need assurances that government systems as a whole, not just health, are being protected.”

As specifics on the matter have been sparse, government has admitted that records of current healthcare workers, former workers, and members of the public had been accessed potentially for malicious use.

“The public is still in the dark regarding this cyber-attack and there hasn’t been any additional information provided by government. In what some have described as the worst cyber-attack in Canadian history, involving thousands of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, the people of our province have a right to know,” said O’Driscoll.

“I am calling on Minister Stoodley to update the province on the cyber-attack and the cyber-security of government systems as a whole.”
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Contacts:

David Maher

Director of Strategic Communications

(cell) 709-725-0984

DavidMaher@gov.nl.ca