London Drugs, a British Columbia-based company with a robust pharmaceutical supply chain serving Western Canada, recently announced the closure of all 78 of its stores due to an IT issue.
Subsequently, the pharmaceutical supply chain, through its official communication channel X (formerly Twitter), revealed that the closure was a precautionary measure in response to a cyber attack, the details of which are still under investigation.
Information circulating on Telegram suggests that the attack may involve ransomware, a malicious software that encrypts data on servers and often involves stealing sensitive information to pressure victims through double extortion tactics.
Despite these challenges, pharmacists associated with the company are working diligently to support customers with urgent medication needs.
It’s lamentable that hackers seem to have lost sight of the human impact of their actions, targeting essential services and emergency needs solely for financial gain. Their relentless pursuit of profit disregards the profound consequences on the lives of those affected.
Law enforcement agencies are actively combating ransomware and other cyber threats, targeting groups like LockBit and those associated with government intelligence that orchestrate DDoS attacks. However, there’s no definitive solution to eliminate cybercrime entirely; authorities can only respond effectively once threats have materialized, rather than preemptively thwarting them during the planning stages.
In response to the incident, London Drugs has enlisted the expertise of security professionals to conduct a thorough forensic investigation. The company has committed to providing updates as the situation unfolds.
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