--- title: "Cyber security predictions 2019: Watch for these four important Canadian privacy reports - Interbit Data" description: The cyber security record book has closed on 2018, and what a ghastly year it was. image: https://21178601.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/21178601/Imported_Blog_Media/FEATURE-predictions-crystal-ball-THINKSTOCK-620x250-1.jpg --- [Skip to main content](https://interbitdata.com/blog/cyber-security-predictions-2019-watch-for-these-four-important-canadian-privacy-reports#main-content) [Knowledge Base Login](https://knowledge.interbitdata.com/en/knowledge)     [Support](https://interbitdata.com/support/) [![Interbit Logo](https://21178601.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/21178601/Interbit%202026/Interbit%20Logos/logo-interbit-retina-svg.svg) ![Interbit Logo](https://21178601.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/21178601/Interbit%202026/Interbit%20Logos/logo-interbit-retina-svg.svg)](https://interbitdata.com) - [Show submenu for Solutions Solutions](https://interbitdata.com/solutions/beacon) - [Beacon Downtime](https://interbitdata.com/solutions/beacon/downtime) - [Beacon Delivery](https://interbitdata.com/solutions/beacon/delivery) - [Beacon Navigator](https://interbitdata.com/solutions/beacon/navigator) - [PatientPath](https://interbitdata.com/solutions/patientpath) - [Blog](https://interbitdata.com/blog) - Show submenu for Resources Resources - [Events](https://interbitdata.com/resources/events/) - [Resources](https://interbitdata.com/resources/success-stories/) - Show submenu for About Us About Us - [Meet the Team](https://interbitdata.com/about/team) - [Partners](https://interbitdata.com/about/partners) Open main navigation Close main navigation - Show submenu for Solutions Solutions - Solutions - [Solutions](https://interbitdata.com/solutions/beacon) - [Beacon Downtime](https://interbitdata.com/solutions/beacon/downtime) - [Beacon Delivery](https://interbitdata.com/solutions/beacon/delivery) - [Beacon Navigator](https://interbitdata.com/solutions/beacon/navigator) - [PatientPath](https://interbitdata.com/solutions/patientpath) - [Blog](https://interbitdata.com/blog) - Show submenu for Resources Resources - Resources - [Events](https://interbitdata.com/resources/events/) - [Resources](https://interbitdata.com/resources/success-stories/) - Show submenu for About Us About Us - About Us - [Meet the Team](https://interbitdata.com/about/team) - [Partners](https://interbitdata.com/about/partners) - Search - [Request a Demo](https://interbitdata.com/request-a-demo) [Request a Demo](https://interbitdata.com/request-a-demo) Search [Blog](https://interbitdata.com/blog) Tags - [Healthcare Information Systems](https://interbitdata.com/blog/tag/healthcare-information-systems) - [IT Challenges](https://interbitdata.com/blog/tag/it-challenges) - [Business Continuity](https://interbitdata.com/blog/tag/business-continuity) - [Cybersecurity](https://interbitdata.com/blog/tag/cybersecurity) - [Company News](https://interbitdata.com/blog/tag/company-news) - [Cyberattack](https://interbitdata.com/blog/tag/cyberattack) - [Cyberattacks](https://interbitdata.com/blog/tag/cyberattacks) Search - [Healthcare Information Systems](https://interbitdata.com/blog/tag/healthcare-information-systems) - [IT Challenges](https://interbitdata.com/blog/tag/it-challenges) - [Business Continuity](https://interbitdata.com/blog/tag/business-continuity) - [Cybersecurity](https://interbitdata.com/blog/tag/cybersecurity) - [Company News](https://interbitdata.com/blog/tag/company-news) - [Cyberattack](https://interbitdata.com/blog/tag/cyberattack) - [Cyberattacks](https://interbitdata.com/blog/tag/cyberattacks) [Business Continuity,](https://interbitdata.com/blog/tag/business-continuity) [IT Challenges,](https://interbitdata.com/blog/tag/it-challenges) [Healthcare Information Systems,](https://interbitdata.com/blog/tag/healthcare-information-systems) [Cyberattack,](https://interbitdata.com/blog/tag/cyberattack) [Cybersecurity](https://interbitdata.com/blog/tag/cybersecurity) # Cyber security predictions 2019: Watch for these four important Canadian privacy reports by [Alex Konstantinovsky](https://interbitdata.com/blog/author/alex-konstantinovsky) Jan 10, 2019 ##### IT World Canada Howard Solomon | January 2, 2019 The cyber security record book has closed on 2018, and what a ghastly year it was. It began with the acknowledgment of the [Spectre/Meltdown vulnerabilities](https://www.itworldcanada.com/article/microsoft-warns-patches-for-meltdown-spectre-may-clash-with-av/400394) and ended with the r[evelation of an API vulnerability at Facebook](https://www.itworldcanada.com/article/facebook-admits-photo-api-bug-irish-privacy-commission-adds-to-its-investigation/413023) and a [huge breach at Marriott Hotels’ Starwood chain.](https://www.itworldcanada.com/article/breaking-news-hotel-hack-of-500-million-customers/412535) In between — and this is only a partial list of publicly-disclosed international issues — a database with some 340 million records belonging to U.S. marketing and data aggregation firm data broker [Exactis was discovered open to anyone](https://www.cnet.com/news/exactis-340-million-people-may-have-been-exposed-in-bigger-breach-than-equifax/); Twitter urged all of its more than 330 million users to immediately change their passwords after a bug exposed them in plain text; 150 million users of the food and nutrition application [MyFitnessPal were told](https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/29/under-armour-stock-falls-after-company-admits-data-breach.html) their usernames, email addresses, and hashed passwords had been stolen; LocalBlox, a personal and business data search service, [left a database exposed](https://www.upguard.com/breaches/s3-localblox) with 48 million records of detailed personal information on tens of millions of individuals and [Ticketfly admitted](https://support.ticketfly.com/s/article/41507) names, addresses, email addresses and phone numbers connected to approximately 27 million accounts were accessed. In Canada, more evidence that even stalwarts can be hit:[Bell Canada acknowledged](https://www.itworldcanada.com/article/bell-acknowledges-data-breach/401010) hackers accessed personal information of around 100,000 customers, and the [Bank of Montreal and CIBC’s Simplii Financial](https://www.itworldcanada.com/article/bmo-cibc-victims-of-cyber-breach-attackers-demand-1-million-from-each-in-cryptocurrency/405703) were hacked. Meanwhile, a security researcher found an unprotected messaging server belonging to a fitness company called PumpUp left personal data exposed, [one of several problems with those using the MQTT messaging protocol](https://www.itworldcanada.com/article/canadian-researcher-warns-of-vulnerability-in-common-protocols-used-in-m2m-applications/412635); another researcher discovered huge amounts of unencrypted personal data on Canadian and U.S. customers in servers and PCs [for sale on Craigslist](https://www.itworldcanada.com/article/data-on-hundreds-of-thousands-of-canadians-left-on-bankrupt-retailers-hard-drives-for-sale/409226) that once belonged to the bankrupt computer electronics chain NCIX; the company that oversees Ontario’s 407 toll highway [began investigating](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/york-police-data-breach-407-brampton-east-1.4669360) an alleged insider theft of data involving 60,000 customers and ransomware stung the Ontario towns of [Wasaga Beach](https://www.itworldcanada.com/article/ontario-town-learns-ransomware-lessons-the-hard-way/411101) and Midland, as well as the [Quebec regional municipality of Mekina.](https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/quebec-region-pays-30-000-bitcoin-ransom-after-servers-hacked-1.4182012) There isn’t enough space in this story to list the companies with clumsy staffers who in 2018 [left corporate data exposed on Amazon S3 buckets.](https://www.itworldcanada.com/article/scanned-canadian-passports-found-on-open-fedex-amazon-s3-bucket/402010) There isn’t enough space in this story to discuss how social media was exploited in 2018 by foreign governments. ([But here’s a link to a report on how it was done in the U.S. 2016 election.](https://www.itworldcanada.com/article/how-to-attempt-to-influence-an-election-start-with-a-spear-phishing-campaign/407102)) Tags: [Business Continuity](https://interbitdata.com/blog/tag/business-continuity) [IT Challenges](https://interbitdata.com/blog/tag/it-challenges) [Healthcare Information Systems](https://interbitdata.com/blog/tag/healthcare-information-systems) [Cyberattack](https://interbitdata.com/blog/tag/cyberattack) [Cybersecurity](https://interbitdata.com/blog/tag/cybersecurity) **[Alex Konstantinovsky](https://interbitdata.com/blog/author/alex-konstantinovsky)** Jan 10, 2019 ## Related Articles [![Cybersecurity is Clinical Infrastructure:  Why Hospitals Need a Resilience Strategy](https://21178601.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/21178601/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/iStock-963458566-Jul-28-2026-07-39-32-7419-PM.jpg?width=500&height=500&name=iStock-963458566-Jul-28-2026-07-39-32-7419-PM.jpg) Cybersecurity is Clinical Infrastructure:  Why Hospitals Need a Resilience Strategy](https://interbitdata.com/blog/time-to-reframe-the-shiny-object-in-healthcare-it) [![EHR report distribution: 3 workflow basics for hospital efficiency](https://21178601.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/21178601/hubfs/Blog%20Post_EHR%20Report%20Distribution.png?width=500&height=500&name=Blog%20Post_EHR%20Report%20Distribution.png) EHR report distribution: 3 workflow basics for hospital efficiency](https://interbitdata.com/blog/ehr-report-distribution-workflow-basics-for-hospital-efficiency) [![Ensuring Business Continuity in Healthcare Data Breach Scenarios](https://21178601.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/21178601/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/IT-staff-computers-712-1.jpg?width=500&height=500&name=IT-staff-computers-712-1.jpg) Ensuring Business Continuity in Healthcare Data Breach Scenarios](https://interbitdata.com/blog/ponemon-business-continuity-management-vital-for-data-breach-recovery) [![Is Your Hospital ETDBW?](https://21178601.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/21178601/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/patientpath-conversation-1.png?width=500&height=500&name=patientpath-conversation-1.png) Is Your Hospital ETDBW?](https://interbitdata.com/blog/is_your_hospital-etdbw) [![Interbit Data, Inc.](https://21178601.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/21178601/Interbit%202026/Interbit%20Logos/logo-interbit-retina-svg.svg)](https://interbitdata.com/) Uptime, Downtime, Anytime! - - Keeping critical information moving securely and reliably for nearly 30 years. 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