Cybercrime Reaches Most Sectors In Canada

Canada is a high value target for today’s cybercriminals and it doesn't matter which sector you're in, says Vern Crowley, an OPP detective with the cybercrime investigations team. Speaking at the Retail Council of Canada (RCC) ‘Current Cyber Threats’ webinar, he said, “The retail, healthcare, manufacturing, finance, and transportation sectors in Canada are increasingly falling victim to cybercrime activity.” Common cybercrimes include identity theft, phishing, and hacking. Although critical infrastructure (ICS) systems are frequently the focus of cybercriminals, there has been a recent spike in criminal activity involving the Internet of Things (IoT) where essential security programs are not necessarily built in to connected devices. Within the retail sector, the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) recently experienced a cybersecurity incident with malicious codes injected into its systems which rendered its website and mobile app unavailable to consumers. Crowley says that the intent was most likely to steal customer and credit card information at check-out. In addition, Indigo was recently targeted by a ransomware attack, a data breach by hackers who publish personal information of consumers unless their demands are met. After the United States and Britain, Canada ranks as the country most likely to have data stolen from their citizens due to cybercrime, says a report from Statista.