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Breach
2023
Personal, pregnancy details of Midwives of Windsor patients breached

Personal, pregnancy details of Midwives of Windsor patients breached

Table of Contents

Incident Details

CBC News has obtained information that the personal and pregnancy details of numerous clients of the Midwives of Windsor were compromised in a data breach that involved email. The breach was brought to the attention of Ontario's Information and Privacy Commissioner several months prior to being reported to the affected clients.

Incident

How Did the Breach Happen?

In April 2023, a breach took place through unauthorized access to one of the email accounts belonging to the Midwives of Windsor.

What Data has been Compromised?

Due to the security breach, the information that might have been compromised includes personal details such as names, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, birth dates, details about pregnancy, treatment and diagnosis information, prescription details, patient identification numbers, and health insurance information. Furthermore, the data of children, including their names and dates of birth, may have been affected as well.

Why Did the company's Security Measures Fail?

The breach occurred due to the compromise of an email account by unauthorized individuals, indicating a failure in the company's security measures. The specific reason for this security failure remains unspecified in the given information.

What Immediate Impact Did the Breach Have on the company?

The information does not detail the immediate consequences of the breach.

How could this have been prevented?

In order to avoid a similar security incident, the Midwives of Windsor could have enhanced their email security by implementing measures like multi-factor authentication, conducting periodic security assessments, and providing training to employees on how to recognize and handle phishing and social engineering attempts. Additionally, they could have secured sensitive client information by encrypting it to increase the difficulty for unauthorized parties to gain access.

What have we learned from this data breach?

Lessons have been drawn from this breach, emphasizing the significance of having strong security measures in place to safeguard confidential client data. It underscores the necessity of proactive strategies for detecting and responding to breaches swiftly to limit their impact.

Summary of Coverage

Personal and pregnancy information of clients at the Midwives of Windsor was exposed in a data breach related to email. The breach, which was caused by an email account compromise, was reported only after several months and comprised personal and medical information of the patients. Strengthening email security protocols and encrypting sensitive data could have averted this breach. This occurrence underscores the significance of implementing strong security practices and proactive detection of breaches.

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