Halifax Water says their online billing portal that has been down for months, is going to stay that way after a privacy incident.
The utility says it affected 16 customers who use the Halifax Water Customer Connect.
An investigation revealed that a “vulnerability” in a third-party platform showed “unauthorized access” to customer information.
This includes:
- Full name
- Email address
- Service or home address; account ID, customer ID and user ID
- Security questions and answers
The utility says it was not a cybersecurity incident.
“We are taking the time needed to understand the circumstances fully, protect customers’ interests, and address the related contractual and insurance matters appropriately,” said Kenda MacKenzie, CEO, Halifax Water in a statement.
Halifax Water says it highlights a gap in their “internal process”, when the initial email about the incident was flagged as spam.
The utility says it remains committed to protecting customer information.
About 55,000 customers use the portal.
