Cybersecurity incident at Canada Life reportedly impacts thousands

Insurance provider Canada Life says it’s aware of a cybersecurity incident that may have compromised its customers personal data. (Supershabashnyi, iStock by Getty Images)

Insurance provider Canada Life says it’s aware of a cybersecurity incident that may have compromised the personal data of some of its customers, though the full scope of the incident remains under investigation.

“Canada Life recently identified a cyber incident involving unauthorized access to certain applications through an employee account,” the Canadian life and health insurance giant said in a statement posted to its website on Monday.

“The incident has been contained and regular operations and services continue. We launched an immediate investigation with support from leading third-party cybersecurity experts and notified authorities.”

CTVNews.ca reached out to Canada Life about the nature of the incident and number of people impacted. They said their current assessment was that “a small proportion” of customers may have been affected.

“Our primary focus is the protection and care of our customers, advisors, and employees. While we are finalizing a thorough analysis to understand the exact nature and full scope of impact, we have begun communicating with our customers,” Canada Life’s statement read.

Some media reports suggest that tens of thousands of people’s personal information was accessed in the breach.

The company says that individuals whose personal information was accessed will be contacted directly soon. For those people, Canada Life says it will offer free-of-charge credit monitoring for an unspecified amount of time.

“We share the concern of our customers and remain committed to doing the right thing for our stakeholders while navigating this unfortunate event.”