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Pharmacy chain London Drugs closed dozens of stores in Western Canada on Sunday following a cyber incident.
A representative said in an email that the chain discovered it was the victim of a cybersecurity incident on Sunday and closed all stores “out of an abundance of caution.” The store will be closed until further notice, the email said.
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The BC-based company has 80 stores from Manitoba to Vancouver Island and employs more than 8,000 people.
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London Drugs has no reason to believe that customer or employee data was affected, a spokesperson said. The company added that it was taking “countermeasures,” including hiring cybersecurity experts to assist with containment, remediation, and investigation.
An employee outside a store in Vancouver's Kerrisdale neighborhood tells arriving customers that all computers are down at the location, but that some customers will be allowed in to pick up their prescriptions. He said it seems like there are.
The online store at londondrugs.com appears to be fully operational as of Sunday afternoon.
The company says pharmacists will be available for customers with urgent needs, and local stores can be contacted by phone.
Staff at a store in Kamloops, British Columbia, told CBC News that the store was experiencing “computer issues” and was unable to assist customers.
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The Richmond, British Columbia-based chain was founded in 1945 and acquired in 1976 by Vancouver entrepreneur Tong Louie of HY Louie Co. Ltd., according to its website. Today, Mr. Louie's son, Brant Louie, runs the family business, one of his largest retailers in the area.
Reporting by Bloomberg and Postmedia
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