WHITEHORSE – The Yukon Information and Privacy Commissioner (IPC), Diane McLeod-McKay, has issued an advisory to inform public bodies and custodians in the Yukon about a new cybersecurity threat related to cyberattacks in Ukraine and beyond.

On February 24, 2022, the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (CCCS) issued a warning regarding the deployment of wiper-ware against Ukrainian organizations. This malware destroys data on computer systems and disables the ability to re-boot or otherwise recover the machine.  The CCCS is reporting that there is no activity occurring in Canada at present but issued the warning out of an abundance of caution.

“It has come to the attention of our office that in recent days cyberattacks of this kind have escalated to target nations beyond Ukraine,” said McLeod-McKay. “Given this, there is a risk to Canadian organizations, including those in the Yukon.”

The IPC advisory is being issued to alert public bodies and custodians about these warnings, so that they can take the necessary measures to limit the risks associated with these attacks.

The advisory can be found here.