Power Cyberattack Affects All Customers According to Report
Nova Scotia Power Offers Free Credit Monitoring Service After Cyberattack
Nova Scotia Power has announced a free, five-year credit monitoring service for its impacted customers following a cyberattack that occurred on or around March 19. The utility notified roughly 277,000 customers about the breach, which was detected on April 25.
The cyberattack resulted in the theft of customer information, some of which was published on the dark web. In response, Nova Scotia Power is offering the credit monitoring service through TransUnion, which includes unlimited online access, dark web monitoring, and up to $1 million of expense reimbursement insurance related to identity theft.
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada launched an investigation into the incident on May 28, and the Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt) initiated its own investigation on May 28, 2021. The Nova Scotia Energy Board has also requested a report from the utility, which was filed by Nova Scotia Power.
The report notes that all customers may have been impacted by the security breach, and some customer bills did appear larger than anticipated due to various reasons such as unprocessed payments, closer billing dates, and estimated bills not reflecting changes at the premises. To help customers, Nova Scotia Power updated its website with tips and held more than 30 in-person sessions in communities.
In addition, the utility began issuing estimated bills based on an average of previous energy used at a property at the same time last year in June. No late charges or penalties have been applied on outstanding balances since the incident.
However, some customers have experienced trouble signing up for the credit monitoring service online. To address this issue, Nova Scotia Power has been working to make the enrollment process as smooth as possible, with the vast majority of individuals able to complete the online enrollment process within a few minutes using their activation code.
The power company is working to fully restore the billing service and has been communicating regularly with customers about the progress of the restoration. The Nova Scotia Energy Board has granted an extension to early September for the utility to answer its information requests.
In conclusion, Nova Scotia Power is taking steps to protect its customers following the cyberattack by offering a free, five-year credit monitoring service and working to restore its billing service. The utility continues to cooperate with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, the Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt), and the Nova Scotia Energy Board to investigate the incident and ensure the security of customer information.
