Government action needed following Nova Scotia Power data breach

HALIFAX – Today at the Public Accounts Committee, Official Opposition Leader Claudia Chender will demand answers from Nova Scotia Power following their recent data breach.

New Democrats will support Nova Scotians impacted by the breach by introducing legislation in the fall to allow free credit freezes, modernize rules around the storage of personal private information, and update privacy legislation to better protect individuals whose information has been stolen.

“People are feeling angry and frustrated by the data breach and the response from Nova Scotia Power,” said Chender. “We need to know who will pay for the fallout, what we’re going to do going forward to prevent similar attacks from happening, and how the Houston government is going to support Nova Scotians.”

Nova Scotia Power has offered two years of free credit monitoring protection for Nova Scotians affected by the cyber attack. Following the loss of public service information in the MOVEit breach, the government provided five years of coverage. Chender will press NSP to guarantee that customers have the protections they need and that the company, not ratepayers, will bear the cost of any fallout from the cyber attack.

“It’s important that Peter Gregg and representatives from Nova Scotia Power appear before the committee to answer questions about how this happened and how they will help Nova Scotians protect themselves and their families,” said Chender. “Nova Scotia Power is a private company that provides an essential service. They should be held to the highest standards, and the Houston government should be front and centre to hold the utility accountable.”

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