Toronto Zoo says current and former employees had personal information stolen in cyber attack
Posted January 17, 2024 2:17 pm.
Current and former Toronto Zoo employees dating back to 1989 had some personal information stolen in an ongoing cyber attack.
The stolen information includes past earnings, social insurance numbers, birthdates, telephone numbers and home addresses. The Toronto Zoo said it does not believe the compromised personal data comprises personal banking details as it does not store that info on its servers.
The Toronto Zoo said it will offer all current, former and retired staff dating back to 1989 with a complimentary two-year credit monitoring service, which allows one to check for signs of identity fraud.
An investigation into the cyber attack remains ongoing as the zoo attempts to determine how members, guests, donors and volunteers are affected.
“It is so unfortunate and very disturbing that charitable not-for-profit organizations like your Toronto Zoo and other public sector organizations are being targeted by cyber attacks,” a zoo spokesperson wrote in a news release.
“Our mission is to connect people, animals and conservation science to fight extinction, not cybercriminals. This has been a terrible incident that has directly impacted our current and former staff, and for that, we are deeply sorry.”
The Toronto Zoo is working with the city’s chief information security office and third-party cyber security experts to resolve the situation and has reported it to Toronto police. Normal operations at the Toronto Zoo will continue.
Retired and former employees interested in receiving the complimentary service are urged to contact the Toronto Zoo at employee.support@torontozoo.ca.
