The University of Calgary Sunridge Medical Clinic has been hit with two computer viruses that have compromised patient information, it has been confirmed.
The clinic was hit by two virus attacks, one of which has completely shut down some computer systems while a second may have remotely allowed unauthorized third parties to access information, reports have suggested.
The infected computers are believed to have held information such as patient demographics, patient referrals, health insurance, billing codes, and Alberta Health Care numbers. Although there is no evidence that personal information was leaked, with people at the clinic believing that the attach was more mischievous than malicious, patients are being reminded to remain alert for activity that could indicate misuse of their identities.
The infected computers have since been shut down and an investigation has begun.
“Customers need to be aware of this problem, so they can monitor to make sure there isn’t any unusual thing happening around them,” said Dr. Cathy MacLean, from the University of Calgary.
“One of the viruses is the type used by someone unauthorized to remotely control a computer,” she said, adding it’s believed the hacker was trying to disrupt business, not access records.
