VON SYSTEMS RESTORED IN NOVA SCOTIA WITH GOOD PROGRESS IN ONTARIO
VON Canada has returned to normal operations in Nova Scotia, and continues to work toward a full return to normal operations in Ontario following a technology-related incident that resulted in a system-wide outage.
We have confirmed this was a ransomware incident. There is no evidence at this time to indicate that any employee, client or volunteer information was compromised in any way. Broadly speaking, ransomware is a type of malicious software designed to block access to a computer system until a sum of money is paid. No ransom has been paid in this case.
The health, well-being, and privacy of our clients are our top priority and we are grateful for the patience of our clients and their families, and of our government partners, as we manage through the restoration of our systems and controlled return to normal operations. We regret any inconvenience this may have caused.
The incident began on September 1, with VON proactively shutting down all systems immediately upon discovery of the problem that has since been identified as ransomware, to ensure security of our network and data.
VON immediately engaged leading cyber-security experts to oversee our response and ensure we were taking all steps necessary to restore our systems in a safe and secure manner. VON also reverted to manual operations for scheduling of all care and exchange of all client information, in accordance with our disaster recovery protocols. All of our systems were scanned, cleaned and certified by these experts before being brought back online for use.
We continue to monitor our systems to ensure we are operating in a safe and secure environment. VON clients are receiving services, as scheduled. If clients have any concerns, they are asked to contact their local VON office or care coordinator for assistance.
A list of toll-free numbers for local offices can be found on our contact page, or you may call 1-888-866-9867.
