Insurance Provider Systems Are Offline After ‘Cybersecurity Incident’

Insurance Provider Systems Are Offline After ‘Cybersecurity Incident’

Time Stamp: February 14, 2024 2:01 PM

Penka Hristovska Penka Hristovska
Published on: February 14, 2024

MSH International Canada, which offers insurance to members of the Public Service Health Care Plan during overseas postings or travels, recently discovered a “cybersecurity incident” affecting its systems.

The company, which is a sub-contractor of Canada Life, reported that the incident was identified on Feb. 9. The company has informed law enforcement and immediately started an investigation into the issue, which is currently in progress. In the meantime, the insurance provider has halted its services.

MSH International Canada says it’s still unclear which information might have been compromised in the security breach.

“We are working to determine if personal information was affected by this incident. If the investigation determines personal information was affected, impacted individuals will be notified,” MSH said.

Due to the incident, certain systems are now offline, which has led to a temporary inability to process claims for existing customers. Some members are also unable to access the MSH member portal.

“This may result in delays in claims processing and the inability to provide claims status,” MSH said.

However, members who need emergency out-of-country services or proof of coverage letters can still contact MSH and Canada Life via dedicated phone lines for assistance.

The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) has confirmed it knows about the incident and said that the Canadian government is frequently checking in with Canada Life for the latest updates.

“The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) has been made aware of a cyber incident affecting MSH International’s systems. MSH is the sub-contractor to Canada Life that provides emergency travel and comprehensive coverage services to members of the Public Service Health Care Plan (PSHCP) who are posted abroad or traveling,” it said in a statement.

“Currently, it is not known with certainty what information held by MSH may have been accessed,” TBS explains. “To protect its network and data, MSH promptly turned off its services and has retained an external cyber incident response firm to help with safe and prompt service restoration. At this time, MSH reports they are unable to process PSHCP claims and members cannot log into the MSH Member Portal.”

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