Saskatchewan Blue Cross members who may have been affected by a cybersecurity incident are being contacted by the company.
The incident was first reported in late April.
In a letter to affected members, the company says the incident happened on or around April 6th.
As part of the investigation, Saskatchewan Blue Cross has discovered some data was accessed, but the company believes the risk of misuse is low.
In an email reply to a request for an interview, the Saskatchewan Blue Cross says, “We are in the process of notifying all affected individuals to ensure they are aware of the incident and steps they can take to protect themselves.”
The health insurance provider retains personal information like your name and contact information, your policy number and claim amounts, date of birth, and your health card number.
Saskatchewan Blue Cross says there is no evidence that any personal or sensitive information has been misused or distributed, but is providing complimentary identity theft and credit monitoring solutions from TransUnion free for two years.
The advice from Blue Cross:
What You Can Do
Despite the lack of any evidence of misuse or publication of the personal information that was the subject of the
Incident, it is always prudent to take steps to guard against criminal activities. We encourage you to be vigilant
and to mitigate any potential harm by taking the following steps to protect yourself, in addition to signing up to the
services offered above:
• Monitor your financial accounts. If you see anything you do not understand or that looks suspicious, or if
you suspect that any fraudulent transactions have taken place on a credit or debit card, call your bank.
• Change and create strong passwords for any online accounts, in particular those that use or relate to your
social insurance number.
• Be cautious of any unsolicited communications of whatever form (phone call, email, etc.) that ask for your
personal information or refer you to a Web page asking for personal information or passwords.
• Avoid clicking on links or downloading attachments from suspicious emails.
• Report an incident to the appropriate authorities if you notice any suspicious activity.
Tips and resources for protecting your identity are available here.
For More Information
Blue Cross has established a call centre to address any questions you may have. The call centre will be open 8:00 a.m. to
5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and can be reached at 1-855-545-1954. Alternatively, you can email me at
privacyofficer@sk.bluecross.ca.
