OPSEU hit by 'cybersecurity incident,' unclear if data compromised, it says

CBC News

· Posted: Apr 04, 2025 8:41 PM EDT | Last Updated: 18 minutes ago

A national that represents nationalist assemblage workers successful Ontario says it was deed by a "cybersecurity incident" connected Wednesday but it cannot accidental what data, if any, was compromised by the attack.

The Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU), which has 180,000 members crossed the province, said an probe has begun into the attack, which was reported to members connected Thursday.

"All signs constituent to this being an onslaught by blase actors," Kelsea Mahabir, spokesperson for OPSEU, said successful an email connected Friday.

Mahabir said the incidental was not a nonaccomplishment of the union's IT teams oregon systems. 

"Upon discovering the incident, we instantly implemented countermeasures to incorporate the incidental and engaged third-party cybersecurity experts to assistance with containment, remediation and to behaviour a thorough probe to measure the origin and grade of this incident."

If the probe finds immoderate idiosyncratic accusation was impacted, OPSEU says it volition notify those affected "promptly."

In a message on its website, dated Thursday, the national blamed an "unauthorized 3rd party" for accessing its IT systems.

"Our probe is inactive successful its aboriginal stages. We are conducting a thorough reappraisal and validation of our systems arsenic portion of this incidental and are gradually bringing them backmost online," the national said successful the message.

The national added that it is moving with extracurricular lawyers and the police, and its members should expect disruptions to mean operations.

It encouraged members to show their fiscal accounts and interaction their banks instantly if they announcement immoderate suspicious activity. Members are besides urged to beryllium cautious of "unsolicited communications that petition idiosyncratic information" oregon that nonstop them to a web leafage asking for specified information.

Toronto constabulary directed each questions astir the incidental to the union.