THUNDER BAY – TECH UPDATE – London Drugs and eighty store pharmacy chain that also sells photography equipment, computers and electronics and household items has been in effect closed due to what the company calls a significant cybersecurity incident.
London Drugs which is based in Richmond British Columbia, has announced a cautious reopening of its stores.
The company emphasizes that reopening will be gradual, with a firm commitment to system functionality and customer service. The exact schedule of store openings will not be disclosed to maintain security protocols.
Pharmacists are available at all locations for emergency prescriptions and urgent care needs, and Canada Post facilities within the stores remain accessible to the public.
Ongoing Cybersecurity Efforts
London Drugs has been working closely with cybersecurity experts to safely restore its IT systems. Clint Mahlman, the President and COO, expressed gratitude towards customers and suppliers for their patience during this challenging period. He reiterated the company’s focus on reinstating fully secure and operational systems. Despite the weeklong shutdown, there has been no evidence suggesting that customer data, including pharmacy records and LDExtra memberships, has been compromised.
On May 2nd, the company reported, “London Drugs continues to work with leading third-party cybersecurity experts to bring operations back online in a safe and secure manner. The impact of the incident on operations has been significant, and the restoration process is rigorous. There are billions of lines of data and code to review. Our teams have been working around the clock and we are seeing progress in our restoration. Our priority is to ensure we bring our operations and services back up in a secure, systematic way, so that we can offer to our customers the level of care they expect from London Drugs. The health and wellbeing of our patients is always our top priority.
“At this point in our investigation, there is no evidence of any customer databases being compromised, including our pharmacy patients and LDExtras members. In the event our investigation determines that personal information was impacted, we will notify affected individuals in accordance with privacy laws. London Drugs is also working closely with third party information providers, for example provincial health systems, and ensuring we are reconnecting with their systems as per their protocols. Each third-party information provider has different requirements, which are complex and time consuming.
“We are determining if we can reopen with partial services in order to take care of customers sooner, particularly our pharmacy customers,” says Clint Mahlman, President and COO. “The outpouring of customer and supplier support and their understanding that has been shown to all of us at London Drugs is so appreciated as we work to reopen from this cyber security incident in a methodical, safe and responsible way, that protects all customers and our London Drugs community.”
Tips for Customers: Protecting Your Online Information
In light of recent events, customers are encouraged to take proactive steps to secure their personal information online. Here are some practical tips:
- Regularly update your passwords and use complex combinations.
- Enable two-factor authentication on all accounts where available.
- Stay vigilant against phishing attempts by verifying the sources of emails and messages.
Advice for Businesses: Securing Digital Data
Businesses, much like London Drugs, can take several measures to protect their digital databases:
- Conduct regular security audits and vulnerability assessments.
- Implement robust data encryption and secure access controls.
- Educate employees about cybersecurity best practices and the importance of data protection.
