Close X
Thursday, November 28, 2024
ADVT 
National

More than half of B.C. businesses in survey reported cyberattacks in past year

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 25 Oct, 2023 11:09 AM
  • More than half of B.C. businesses in survey reported cyberattacks in past year

Global accounting firm KPMG says cybercrime is a growing issue in Metro Vancouver and on Vancouver Island.

The firm says a survey of 700 Canadian businesses conducted last month revealed that more than half of those in Vancouver and on the island had been hit by cyberattacks in the last year.

It surveyed 73 small and mid-sized firms in the region, all with annual revenues exceeding than $10 million.

Of those businesses, 54 per cent also reported paying a ransom to unlock their computers in the past three years.

KPMG says six in 10 companies in those B.C. regions said their information technology systems make them vulnerable to attacks, but 60 per cent of respondents still did not consider cybersecurity a "business priority."

Erik Berg, a Vancouver-based partner with KPMG, says cyberattacks have become a reality and should not be ignored as they can be costly, impair operations and damage a business's reputation.  

He says businesses should proactively identify their most crucial data and systems, then focus on protecting and securing them, while regularly testing for vulnerabilities.

MORE National ARTICLES

911 phone service for seniors

911 phone service for seniors
Vancouver police are offering free 9-1-1 cellphones to seniors who can’t afford their own phone. Police say in a statement that seniors on fixed or low incomes are sometimes less inclined to rely on technology for safety, especially if it involves a monthly cost.

911 phone service for seniors

Unusual North Vancouver crash

Unusual North Vancouver crash
A transport truck hauling a large, square container slammed into an overpass in North Vancouver on Tuesday, snarling traffic on Highway 1 for hours, and B.C.'s latest case of overheight mayhem also has a bizarre twist. RCMP say the driver fled after the crash that wedged the tarp-covered box underneath the Main Street overpass of Highway 1, buckling the flatbed trailer supporting it.

Unusual North Vancouver crash

Cross-country rallies against 'gender ideology' in schools meet with counter-protests

Cross-country rallies against 'gender ideology' in schools meet with counter-protests
Protesters accused schools of exposing young students to "gender ideology," and said parents have the right to know whether their children are questioning their gender identity. Counter-demonstrators, meanwhile, accused protesters of importing United States culture wars into the country and trying to deny students important lessons about inclusion and respect for gender-diverse people.  

Cross-country rallies against 'gender ideology' in schools meet with counter-protests

RCMP seek witnesses in Richmond crash

RCMP seek witnesses in Richmond crash
Mounties in Richmond are looking for witnesses after a crash last week between a pedestrian and a motorcycle. Police say both people involved suffered significant injuries as a result of the crash last Thursday on Granville Avenue.

RCMP seek witnesses in Richmond crash

India claims students at risk after envoy insists safety, in 'early stages' of spat

India claims students at risk after envoy insists safety, in 'early stages' of spat
India is warning students headed to Canada of security risks just weeks after its top envoy highlighted their safety, as diplomacy and intelligence experts warn a months-long diplomatic row with India is only just beginning. The building spat undergirds calls for more transparency, and a look at how Canada tackles foreign interference.

India claims students at risk after envoy insists safety, in 'early stages' of spat

Who was Hardeep Singh Nijjar, slain B.C. Sikh leader at heart of diplomatic crisis?

Who was Hardeep Singh Nijjar, slain B.C. Sikh leader at heart of diplomatic crisis?
On June 18, Hardeep Singh Nijjar phoned his eldest son for the last time, to say he was on his way home for dinner. Nijjar is now at the heart of a diplomatic crisis between India and Canada, after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Monday that intelligence services were investigating "credible" information about "a potential link" between India's government and the killing.

Who was Hardeep Singh Nijjar, slain B.C. Sikh leader at heart of diplomatic crisis?