In consultation with the Office of the Saskatchewan Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC), eHealth Saskatchewan (eHS), the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) and the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health are providing an update on the eHealth malware attack reported in January 2020 and advising Saskatchewan residents that a privacy breach of personal health information may have occurred as a result of the malware attack. eHS, SHA and Ministry of Health take the safeguarding and protection of personal health information very seriously and immediately launched a months-long forensic investigation following the ransomware attack. Following the forensic investigation, eHealth advises that a breach of personal health information has potentially occurred. The breach impacted information on systems administered by eHS for the SHA and Ministry of Health.
REGINA The province cannot rule out a possible breach of personal health information following a malware attack on eHealth. The Office of the Saskatchewan Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC) is drafting a report on the incident. Saskatchewan’s eHealth records were accessed by hackers in early January 2020. The system stores Saskatchewan residents personal health data, and at the time, the government believed nothing was stolen. eHealth said on Tuesday that some of its files were sent to suspicious IP addresses. In February eHealth suggested personal files could have been sent to several suspicious IP addresses. “While the forensic investigation rendered no evidence that personal health information was compromised, the investigation was unable to rule out a breach of personal health information,” the OIPC, eHealth Saskatchewan (eHS), the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) and the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health said in a news release.“The inability to
Following the forensic investigation, eHealth advises that a breach of personal health information has potentially occurred. The breach impacted information on systems administered by eHS for the SHA and Ministry of Health. While the forensic investigation rendered no evidence that personal health information was compromised, the investigation was unable to rule out a breach of personal health information. The inability to absolutely verify that no privacy breach occurred is leading to public notification of a potential privacy breach involving personal information or personal health information. Upon discovery of the malware attack, eHealth Saskatchewan managed to contain and eliminate the malware and restore compromised files. However, the conclusion of a likely privacy breach follows findings in the forensic investigation that some files were sent to a suspicious IP address.
Posted: Dec 18, 2020 7:02 PM CT | Last Updated: December 19, 2020
One of the researchers involved with a new study says its findings about pandemic-related anxiety reflect what she is hearing from her own clients. (Mont Poll/Shutterstock)
It has been more than nine months since the first case of COVID-19 was identified in Saskatchewan, and researchers have been working to identify how the pandemic has since impacted mental health in the province.
A new study conducted by Pollara Strategic Insights on behalf of Mental Health Research Canada, and supported by the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation, found that anxiety and depression levels have increased in Saskatchewan adults this year.
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Federal Minister of Health Patty Hajdu says an allotment of COVID-19 vaccines will be bound for First Nations reserves.
However, Hajdu said similar allotments will not be made for other Indigenous people living off reserve, including Métis people, arguing they fall into provincial jurisdiction.
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She and Minister for Indigenous Services Marc Miller urged provinces to take an “equitable” approach in providing access to those vaccines.
“In urban areas … we need the partnership with the province, and that’s a hand that I extend to all premiers,” Miller said.