The federal privacy commissioner is examining a large-scale Crime Stoppers data breach that exposed nearly 1.5 million Canadian tips, prompting some local branches to pause the program amid security and safety concerns for tipsters.
asserted
that → examine → tipsters
Despite the breach falling outside their mandate, Vito Pilieci, spokesperson for the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, said the agency has offered “expertise and guidance” in the aftermath of the breach, and is seeking more information from Navigate360 “before determining next steps.”
Pilieci said he was not in a position to comment further.
As first reported by CBC, the information was stolen last March by a hacking group seeking to disprove the company’s claim that its platform was “anonymous” and “secure.”
All told, more 8.3 million tips were exposed, according to the investigation, 1.5 million of which were submitted by Canadians.
uncertain
million → fall → Canadians
In some cases, names of the tipsters or other personal information, like phone numbers or addresses, were included in the data.
asserted
names → include → data
The breach, unprecedented in both scope and severity, according to experts who spoke to the Star, could render tipsters vulnerable to offences like identity theft and fraud, and in some cases, risk their public safety.
uncertain
tipsters → accord → safety
Some local programs, including in Toronto, have opted to pause accepting tips after learning the extent of the leak.
asserted
programs → include → leak
“It could be really dangerous if (this information) got into the wrong hands,” said Lisa Danay Wallace, a lawyer specializing in information technology and privacy.
uncertain
Wallace → get → technology
“It takes it a big step further, into physical risk.”
asserted
It → take → risk
A coalition of hackers, dubbed Internet Yiff Machine, stole data from P3, the tip software used by the charity since 2018, in March.
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coalition → dub → March
A week later, the organization said Navigate360 informed them that the system was “safe and fully operational.”
asserted
system → say → them
Crime Stoppers says it was told by Navigate360 in May that the data — a total of 91GB — had been recovered.
uncertain
data → say → GB
In a statement shared Thursday, Crime Stoppers Toronto said it took months to gain clarity on the extent of the breach.
asserted
it → share → breach
The Guelph Wellington branch shared a similar statement on Thursday.
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branch → share → Thursday
In that time, a copy of the hacked data was made available to researchers and journalists by Distributed Denial of Secrets, an American non-profit that publishes hacked documents, if deemed to be in the public interest.
asserted
that → hack → interest
CBC’s reporting, published on Wednesday, was the first time the Toronto branch was made aware that the leaked information had been accessed by an outside party.
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information → publish → party
Some of the leaked tips contained personal information, such as full names, addresses and phone numbers, along with allegations they reported to the non-profit.
asserted
they → leak → profit
Some of the tips resulted in arrests or charges, with tipsters receiving cash rewards.
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tipsters → result → rewards
“This creates a unique situation where very sensitive, highly sensitive information has been breached,” Danay Wallace said.
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Wallace → create → situation
But the risk is not only to the tipsters; the leaked tips could harm the reputations of those being reported, particularly if the allegations contained within were unfounded.
“People that are being accused in these tips; they’re still innocent until proven guilty, too,” said Danay Wallace.
uncertain
Wallace → leak → tips
How many Toronto tips were compromised?
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tips → compromise → ?
Toronto Crime Stoppers saw the most tips of any Canadian city exposed in the breach, a total of 179,891, including more than 14,000 names.
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Stoppers → see → names
Spokesperson Sean Sportun says the organization has not had the opportunity to review the leaked tips.
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organization → say → tips
“(Navigate360) has not given us the text of the tips, despite repeated requests through our lawyers, so we can’t see what each one says,” Sportun said in a written statement to the Star.
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Sportun → give → Star
The organization says it continues to seek the stolen tips from Navigate360, along with a “full account of what happened.”
asserted
what → say → account
Toronto Crime Stoppers announced Thursday it was pausing its tips program and is currently asking the public to direct reports to Toronto police.
asserted
it → announce → police
Sportun says it will not readopt the program until it “can stand behind the system that protects (its tips.)”
asserted
that → say → tips
“This week’s reporting shows the data has travelled beyond Navigate360, and we don’t know who else may have a copy,” he said.
uncertain
he → show → copy
“So we are acting as if it could be misused.”
uncertain
it → act → ?
Along with Toronto police, Hamilton, and Peel, York, Halton and Durham police services have also suspended the intake of tips.
asserted
Hamilton → suspend → tips
The Crime Stoppers of Canada Association says that the tip program and software has since been secured.
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program → say → Canada
“Navigate360 has advised us that third-party cybersecurity experts have investigated the breach, identified vulnerabilities and completed remediation,” association vice president Craig MacPhail told the Star.
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MacPhail → advise → Star
The national tip program remains in operation.
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program → remain → operation
MacPhail says the national association respects the decision of independent branches and continues to work with local programs to implement additional measures and oversights.
asserted
association → say → measures
“These measures strengthen protections for current and future submissions, said MacPhail.
asserted
MacPhail → strengthen → submissions
“They cannot undo the exposure of information already taken, which remains a serious concern.”
asserted
which → undo → information
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