360,000 Quebec Teachers Affected By Data Breach

Exploit: Data Breach
Company: Quebec Treasury Board
Industry: Education
Source: https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/major-data-breach-personal-information-of-360-000-teachers-and-former-teachers-in-quebec-exposed-1.4822449

After hackers accessed a database holding personal information for people working or having worked as teachers in Quebec, fears are that nearly 360,00 people might be affected by the data breach. Quebec’s Treasury Board revealed that the hackers were able to access the database by stealing a user code and password.

After confirming that the data was stolen, the government has reassured everyone that the integrity of their computer system is intact and has not been compromised. What is unclear is how the hackers were able to steal the user code and password in the first place. Speculation has led many to believe that a phishing email could have been responsible for the data breach as such information is typically acquired via phishing scams.

Specifics on the stolen data have yet to be revealed and the rather lax security measures are being pointed out as the investigation continues to unfold. A free year of credit and identity monitoring services are being provided to the victims of the attack in compensation for their data being compromised. Victims should take further steps to protect themselves in the event that their data ends up on the Dark Web or used in targeted, personal attacks. Changing passwords and other login credentials should be a first step as well as integrating MFA and other identity management tools.

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