London Health Unit Suspends Services Due to Cyber Issue

London’s health unit has taken several of its systems offline following what it’s describing as a “cybersecurity incident.”

A news release from the Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU) shared on Friday afternoon stated that the issue was identified on Thursday.

They’ve acted to prevent “any further unauthorized activity” by disabling some of the affected systems, according to the release. Consequently, the health unit’s standard phone lines and numerous software systems are currently unavailable.

Investigation ongoing

The health unit mentioned that they’ve informed Ontario’s privacy commissioner and health ministry about the incident.

“We are working with leading cybersecurity experts to assist with containment, remediation, and a forensic investigation to determine the nature and scope of the incident,” said Emily Williams, the health unit’s CEO.

Williams indicated that they are in the early stages of this investigation.

“In the event the investigation determines that any personal or personal health information has been impacted, any affected parties will be contacted accordingly,” she said.

“The team at MLHU is committed to protecting the information in its care and minimizing the impact of this incident on clients, community, and staff,” she added.

The health unit is focused on resolving this situation promptly while ensuring essential health services continue operating.

Meanwhile, they stated that “modified services” will be available and that “high-risk public health requests will receive a prompt response.”

MLHU officials plan to provide an update on Monday.

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