Boonbox
Pacific Coast Information Systems
700-1112 Pender Street West
Vancouver, BC V6E 2S1 Canada
+1 (604) 844-7558
www.boonbox.net
For Immediate Release
Cyber security a serious issue for Canadian agencies and political parties in 2008
VANCOUVER, CANADA – October 8, 2008 – October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month, a time when Canadians are reminded to take online security precautions to protect themselves from hackers and ID thieves. But how safe is Canada right now when it comes to web security?
But web security breaches are still a major threat to these positive developments. A few examples:
* Alberta’s auditor general announced this month that hackers had penetrated hundreds of supposedly secure government systems and that government information systems are weakly protected.
* An online database reportedly containing the records of 48,000 students in Newfoundland and Labrador was breached by hackers.
* Passport Canada reports a security breach that could have exposed the information of all visitors of its website to cyber criminals.
“Government agencies are building security into the online applications to protect the constituents who use their services, but it’s tough for them to keep on top of the constantly strengthening threat from hackers,” notes Pacific Coast Information Systems Ltd. President Vaclav Vincalek.
“The number of voters going to political campaign sites is increasing, so hopefully campaign staff are building security into their web applications so these online visitors are not put at risk. Just imagine the consequences to a campaign if someone discovered that a party’s website was infecting every computer used to browse it. Industry analysts suggest just one in 30 websites is safe, so this is not an unlikely scenario. ”
PCIS’ Boonbox division offers IT security solutions and Vincalek is a speaker at security-related conferences across North America.
About Boonbox – www.boonbox.net
Boonbox, a division of PCIS, was created in 2007. Boonbox specializes in productivity solutions that deliver immediate results in support of business challenges. Partnered with world-class, market leading technology vendors, Boonbox enables mid-sized companies to address security, compliance and data integrity issues.
About PCIS – www.pcis.com
Pacific Coast Information Systems (PCIS) Ltd. is a full-service technology and consulting firm based in Vancouver. Founded in 1995 as a technology company providing application development and support, PCIS’s core business today is to provide technical assessment & services, business analysis, and I.T. project management. PCIS has proven expertise in networking, security, application development, portals and compliance.
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Media Contacts:
Karen Chiang Jonathon Narvey
Boonbox Program Manager PCIS Boonbox Communications
Phone: +1 (604) 844-7558 Phone: +1 (604) 844-7558
KarenChiang@pcis.com jonathonnarvey@pcis.com