The Association patronale des entreprises en Construction du Québec (APECQ) was the target of a data breach at the end of October, and a number of sensitive information on new home builder employees and customers was shared on the line.
• Read more: Company affected by data breach: A new law changes the situation
• Read more: Mega Data Leak: How to Get Your $90 Effortlessly With Desjardins
• Read more: Data leak at U-Haul in Quebec, Canada and the United States
After Desjardins, Collège Montmorency, Westjet, U-Haul and Bell Technical Solutions, it’s APECQ’s turn to be the target of hackers.
In fact, more than 230,000 files were stolen from a group of 700 construction contractors working mainly in the residential sector.
Our investigative unit has found that the contents of these files are now available Dark webA site widely used for malicious purposes.
“I will force our IT team to assess the extent of the situation,” said APECQ director general Daniel Bedard, who initially did not believe there was a leak.
Social Insurance and Credit Card
Due to the large volume of stolen documents, it is currently difficult to estimate the number of victims.
Among the most confidential data we were able to consult were employee tax slips (T1 and T4) that contained a lot of personal information, including social insurance numbers.
We also observed lists of names of residential customers, including their phone numbers and email addresses.
There is also information on contractors, inspection reports, warranty contracts, notices of work accidents, tenders for work and financial guarantees.
Mr. During our conversation with Bedard, we informed him that all information related to the credit card he uses for APECQ expenses is now in circulation.
The file in question enables reading the card number, user name, expiry date and security code found on the back of the card.
The Excel files, along with details of multiple transactions on the card, would allow a fraudster to answer security questions commonly asked by financial institutions.
prevention
Mr. Bedard says it has invested more than $37,000 in computer security since the start of the year, five times more than in 2015.
“I’m appalled that this is happening to us after so much effort,” he laments.
APECQ is the smallest of the three main associations of construction contractors in Quebec. It works like ACQ and APCHQ, especially by helping entrepreneurs to start and run their business.
This is Garantie Habitation des Maîtres Batisseurs Inc. Works with, it benefits new home buyers and many other documents found in the data leak.
– In collaboration with Philippe Langlois
You have information about a personal data leak or you are a user Dark web? Contact me confidentially at [email protected] or at 514-212-3937.
“Music geek. Coffee lover. Devoted food scholar. Web buff. Passionate internet guru.”
