The provincial government is in the process of notifying
approximately 15,000 individuals about a data breach that occurred on
the Wildfire Management Branch’s website and associated databases.

The databases were accessed by an unauthorized user on Sept. 24,
2014. As soon as the breach was discovered, public website access to
the databases was shut down. The Ministry of Forests, Lands and
Natural Resource Operations is conducting a thorough review of the
incident in co-operation with the Office of the Chief Information
Officer.

The provincial government takes the management of personal
information and the protection of privacy very seriously. The Office
of the Information and Privacy Commissioner was notified about this
incident and the ministry is working closely with that office to
resolve this issue.

This incident may have resulted in some personal information being
unlawfully accessed, including the name, gender, general contact
information, date of birth, driver’s license number and job
evaluation information of past wildfire crew firefighter job
applicants. In some cases, information that applicants entered about
their status as an Aboriginal, minority or disabled person may also
have been viewed.

The government is working hard to notify the individuals who are
affected by this incident and could be at risk of harm as a result.
People who require notification will be contacted by mail or other
means.