Achi news desk-
All London Drugs stores remained closed across Western Canada Tuesday morning, two days after the BC-based company announced it was dealing with a “cybersecurity incident.”
A statement issued by the company at 7:20 a.m. PT Tuesday said its stores “will remain temporarily closed … until further notice while continuing to provide emergency pharmacy care to customers.”
“London Drugs is currently working with leading third party cyber security experts to bring our operations back online in a secure manner.”
The retail and pharmacy chain, which has more than 80 stores across BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, said it closed its stores “out of an abundance of caution” while it hired experts to investigate the incident.
“Our investigation is currently assessing the extent to which any data has been compromised in the incident. If our investigation determines that personal information has been affected, we will notify affected individuals in accordance with privacy laws,” the statement said.
The retailer offered no timetable for when its stores might reopen.
“Recognizing the impact these closures have had on our customers and employees across Western Canada, it remains our priority to continue working around the clock to get all stores fully operational, ” said London Drugs COO and president Clint Mahlman in the statement on Tuesday.
“We appreciate everyone’s patience and support during this very difficult time and will provide updates when available.”
The company said pharmacists are standing by for urgent needs.
The company’s phone lines also remain down, but he said customers can go to their local store in person where staff would be available to assist them.
Canada Post confirmed Monday that offices inside London Drugs stores are affected by the closure, but said customers with parcels waiting for them can pick them up at the stores.
If customers have to pay any postage fees, they will have to pay in cash, Canada Post said.
London Drugs, a business based in Richmond, BC that opened in 1945, sells everything from pharmaceuticals to groceries and electronics.
The incident facing London Drugs comes a month after the discount chain Giant Tiger Stores Ltd. reported that some of its customers’ data was compromised in an “incident” related to a third-party vendor it uses.
Over the past two years, Indigo Books & Music, the Liquor Control Board of Ontario, the government of Nova Scotia, the Toronto Public Library and the City of Hamilton in Ontario have also fallen victim to cyber incidents.
The country saw 74,073 cybercrimes reported by police in 2022, up from 33,893 in 2018, Statistics Canada data shows.
Experts have long warned that cybercrime tends to be underreported due to the stigma, embarrassment and repercussions that victims often experience.
Cyber security attacks are ‘constant’: expert
Cyber security expert Jon Ferguson said the London Drugs breach was “obviously significant.”
While the company hasn’t provided details, it said it’s likely ransomware of some sort — “a data breach following some kind of money request.”
He noted that it could also be a lack of ability to process payments, manage buildings or security systems or some other type of data breach.
“The biggest question and threat that people are trying to evaluate right now is [if there was] loss of personal information,” said Ferguson, vice president of cyber security and domain name system at the Internet Registration Authority of Canada.
He said that cyber security attacks are “constant” – especially in the healthcare sector because the breach of private information gives bad actors leverage for personal and credible phishing attacks.
“It’s very hard these days not to be doing business with a company that has had some kind of impact because it’s so, so common these days,” he said.
Ferguson said the London Drugs situation reminds companies and individuals to protect themselves by updating software on devices and using two-factor authentication.
“Organisations of any size and individuals are open to this type of problem,” he said. “We need to focus on being proactive about things rather than paying the bill when the bad things happen.”
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