Thunder Bay – Technology Update – London Drugs and its 80-store pharmacy chain, which also sells photography equipment, computers, electronics and household goods, is effectively closed due to what the company calls a major cybersecurity incident.
Richmond, British Columbia-based London Drugs announced it would cautiously reopen its stores.
The company emphasizes that it is committed to system functionality and customer service, and that the reopening will occur in stages. In order to maintain security protocols, the exact schedule of store openings will not be made public.
Pharmacists are available at all locations to fill emergency prescriptions and urgent care needs, and Canada Post facilities within our stores remain open to the public.
Continuing cybersecurity efforts
London Drugs has worked closely with cybersecurity experts to safely restore its IT systems. Clint Mahlman, president and chief operating officer, thanked customers and suppliers for their patience during this difficult time. He reiterated that the company is focused on restoring a fully secure and operational system. Despite the week-long shutdown, no evidence has been found to suggest that customer data, including pharmacy records or LDExtra membership information, was compromised.
“London Drugs continues to work with leading third-party cybersecurity experts to bring operations back online in a safe and secure manner,” the company reported on May 2. This incident has had a significant impact on our operations and our recovery process is rigorous. There are billions of lines of data and code that need to be reviewed. Our team is working on him around the clock and recovery is progressing. Our priority is to ensure that we can resume our operations and services in a safe and systematic manner, providing the level of care that our customers have come to expect from London His Drugs. The health and well-being of our patients is always our top priority.
“At this point in our investigation, there is no indication that the pharmacy's customer database, including patients or LDExtras members, was compromised. If our investigation reveals that personal information has been affected, we will contact affected individuals in accordance with privacy laws. London Drugs also works closely with third party information providers, such as local health systems, to ensure that each third party information provider is reconnected to their systems in accordance with their protocols. It has requirements, is complex and time consuming.
“We are determining whether we can reopen with partial service to serve our customers, especially our pharmacy customers, more quickly,” President and Chief Operating Officer Clint Mahlman said in a statement. . “The tremendous support and understanding of our customers and suppliers shown to all of us at London Drugs is a testament to the tremendous support and understanding that our customers and suppliers have shown to us as we continue to work through this cybersecurity incident in a methodical, safe and responsible manner to protect all of our customers and our company. As we work to reopen, we are extremely grateful to London's drag community. ”
Tips for customers: Protect your online information
In light of recent events, we recommend that you take proactive steps to protect your personal information online. Here are some practical tips.
- Update your passwords regularly and use complex combinations.
- Enable two-factor authentication on all available accounts.
- Always be on the lookout for phishing attacks by checking the source of emails and messages.
Advice for businesses: protect your digital data
Like London Drugs, companies can take several steps to protect their digital databases.
- Conduct regular security audits and vulnerability assessments.
- Implement robust data encryption and secure access controls.
- Educate your employees on cybersecurity best practices and the importance of data protection.
