The province says it’s in the process of notifying 15,000 people about a data breach on the Wildlife Management Branch’s website and associated databases.
The databases were accessed by an “unauthorized user” on September 24, 2014. The province says as soon as the breach was discovered, public website access to the databases was shut down.
Information that may have been compromised includes name, gender, general contact information, date of birth, driver’s license number and job evaluation information of past wildfire crew firefighter job applicants.
If applicants indicated that they were Aboriginal, a minority or disabled person, that information may also have been compromised.
“The government is working hard to notify the individuals who are affected by this incident and could be at risk of harm as a result. People who require notification will be contacted by mail or other means,” reads a statement from the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations.
However, the ministry admits contacting some of the applicants may be difficult as some of the database records are up to 10 years old.
A “thorough” review is being conducted in cooperation with the Chief Information Officer. Credit protection services are also being made available free-of-charge to everyone affected.
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