Lakelands Public Health Notifies Public Of Cybersecurity Breach Five Months After The Incident
Lakelands Public Health Notifies Public Of Cybersecurity Breach Five Months After The Incident
Publish Date: 2026-06-30 14:20:00
Source Domain: www.kawartha411.ca
Using an unordered list, summarize the following article with between 4 and 8 key points. KAWARTHAS- On January 29, 2026, Lakelands Public Health (formed through the merger of the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit and Peterborough Public Health) discovered a cybersecurity incident affecting the Peterborough Office location IT server only.
Health officials say in compliance with provincial legislation, and out of an abundance of caution and respect for client privacy, Lakelands Public Health is issuing this communication to inform the public of this matter and has also reported the incident to the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (IPC), five months later.
An unauthorized third party threat actor gained remote access to a limited portion of the network environment. As part of the incident, the threat actor accessed, extracted, and encrypted, files containing personal information and personal health information from health department servers. All files were successfully restored from backups according to Lakelands Public Health.
Following an investigation, it was determined that approximately 60,000 current or former residents of Peterborough County and the City of Peterborough may have been affected. This includes individuals who received services from Lakelands Public Health or whose health-related information (such as laboratory results) was received by the organization from 1996 up to January 2026.
Immediately after discovering the incident, officials say they engaged external cybersecurity experts to contain the threat, investigate the scope of the incident, and strengthen our systems and security measures. At this time through continuous monitoring and expert-input, there is no evidence that the information involved has been misused for fraudulent purposes or published online.
Lakelands Public Health provides public health programs, clinical services, and health and wellness support to individuals and families throughout our communities. As part of delivering these services, we collect and maintain personal and personal health information, including medical records, laboratory results, and other health-related information.
Who May Be Affected?You may be affected if you:• Were a client of the Peterborough location of Lakelands Public Health between 1996 toJanuary 2026.
What Information May Have Been Involved?The information involved may include some combination of the following:• Name• Date of birth• Home address• Telephone number• OHIP number• Medical diagnosis• Medication information• Treatment information• OHIP billing codes• Dates of service• Vaccination information• Healthcare provider information
Officials say not every individual had all categories of information affected. The type ofinformation involved varies depending on the services received. At this time, there is no evidence that any information involved in this incident has been used for identity theft or fraud.
What They Are DoingProtecting personal information and personal health information in our care remains a top priority.Since discovering the incident, Lakelands Public Health has:• Engaged leading cybersecurity experts• Contained and secured affected systems• Conducted a comprehensive forensic investigation• Reported the incident to law enforcement• Notified the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (IPC)• Enhanced cybersecurity protections and monitoring
Officials continue to monitor for any signs that the information involved has been misused or disclosed online. If future developments arise, updates will be posted on the website.
What You Can DoThe Health Unit says currently, no additional action is required. Based on the findings of cybersecurity experts, the risk of identity theft or fraud related to this incident is considered low. Remain vigilant by:• Monitoring personal accounts and statements• Reporting suspicious activity to service providers or law enforcement• Being cautious of unsolicited communications requesting personal information
Lakelands Public Health will never contact you by email or text message asking you to provide sensitive personal information.
