Tag Archive for: vaccine

Ontario government employee among two charged in COVID-19 vaccine portal security breach

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TORONTO —
A government employee is among two people charged following an investigation into a security breach related to Ontario’s COVID-19 immunization system.

Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) say they were first asked to investigate the breach on Nov. 17 after the government received reports of spam text messages received by individuals who scheduled appointments or accessed vaccine certificates through the COVID-19 immunization system.

The security breach was confirmed publicly on Monday, with the Solicitor General’s office telling CTV News Toronto that the reported texts were “financial in nature.”

CTV News Toronto spoke with two residents who received phishing text messages they believe could have been related to the breach. Both messages were addressed to their children using their full names.

“What really triggered it for me was the spelling of her name. It was her name, her full name with middle name, and her middle name was fully capitalized and the only time I’ve ever seen that was on her vaccine passport,” Toronto resident Carla Embleton said.

Ottawa resident Mike Primeau said he received a similar text to his cell phone saying that his son had been sent “a reimbursement of $163.36” and was asked to reply to receive the payment.

spam text

Primeau was the one who registered his entire family—including his son—for the COVID-19 vaccine.

Multiple other people reported receiving text messages with either their full names or the full names of their children; however the requests differed slightly.

In a news release issued Tuesday, investigators said that two search warrants—one in Quebec and another in Ottawa—were executed on Nov. 22 in connection with the security breach. Several devices, computers and laptops were seized.

As a result of the investigation, 21-year-old Gloucester resident Ayoub Sayid and 22-year-old Rahim Abdu from Vaudreuil-Dorio were taken into custody.

They were both charged with Unauthorized Use of a Computer contrary to s. 342.1(1)(c) of the Criminal Code.

Police say that Sayid is an employee of the Ontario Ministry of Government and Consumer Services in the vaccine contact centre.

The charges have not been proven…

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Got a text about your 3rd vaccine dose? It’s a front for spreading malware

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Updated 10/11/2021 – Tanglebot malware started spreading last month through fake text messages regarding COVID-19 regulations and vaccinations. Cybercriminals behind this tricky scheme are now sending bogus messages claiming you’re about to experience local power outages. If you click links found inside these messages, your device will be infected with Tanglebot malware. Keep reading for more details and how to avoid falling victim.

As if we didn’t have enough to worry about with the Delta variant of COVID-19, we also have to deal with crooks taking advantage of people during the pandemic. All sorts of scams are coming to light, from tried-and-true methods to new ones created just for these challenging times.

Crooks don’t always directly focus on COVID-19 itself. The Federal Trade Commission reported on a scam involving text messages that inform people their unemployment insurance benefits are running out. If there was ever a time for people to panic and make uninformed decisions, this is it. Tap or click here to check out the details of this phishing scam.

A new scam has surfaced involving text messages that address COVID-19. Bad actors are luring potential victims with phony messages about COVID regulations and third doses of the vaccine in hopes of getting them to download malware. Read on for details.

Phishing, smishing

A report from analysts at Cloudmark points to a new threat involving malware attacks launched via text messages. This particular scam combines SMS (short message service, or text messages) and phishing and is thus known as smishing.

Phishing attacks attempt to gain a victim’s trust by imitating brands and companies they know or support. In this case, the crooks are posing as an ambiguous official or government entity.

Messages claim to include COVID regulations and information on the third dose of vaccines. But the text is malicious and contains links that infect your device with malware.

If the malware infects your device, the crooks can steal data and take over your phone. This…

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Security workers called in to protect mobile vaccine units – The Durango Herald

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GOLDEN – Security workers will accompany nurses and staff members of Jefferson County Public Health’s three mobile vaccine units for the foreseeable future after months of harassment and abuse.

Last weekend, the agency was forced to pull vans off the street after a driver in Gilpin County, who contracts Jefferson County’s health agency, drove toward and destroyed signs around the van. Others “verbally abused” staff members Sept. 4, said Dr. Dawn Comstock, the agency’s executive director.

These types of attacks have been going on for months, she said, but they’ve escalated to a higher degree. For example, last month someone threw live fireworks into a tent of nurses and staff members, the Gazette reported.

Despite the ongoing barrage of attacks and harassment, the county was still set to hold its COVID-19 vaccine events.

“JCPH will not be intimidated out of its public health mission,” Comstock said. “We’ve arranged additional security measures to keep staff safe and will be working with our law enforcement partners to assure these handful of extremists are not allowed to infringe on the rights of those who want to be vaccinated.”

Each incident has been reported to law enforcement, however, each time the perpetrator has left the scene before they arrived.

Two incidents are being investigated by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and at least one by the Arvada Police Department, said Mike Taplin, a spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office.

The health department has partnered with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and other local law enforcement agencies who will evaluate whether security, a deputy – on or off-duty – or other local officers, are needed.

Comstock said she also contacted the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to ask for them to provide security or funding for security to be used at each mobile vaccine unit, but was told they’re working with state law enforcement to combat the issue around the state.

“They let us know this isn’t…

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OpenTable Joins With Secure ID Firm CLEAR To Streamline Vaccine Verification For Diners, Restaurants – CBS San Francisco

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SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — As San Francisco and other major cities begin requiring proof of a COVID vaccination for indoor dining, online restaurant reservation provider OpenTable is partnering with secure identity firm CLEAR to help establishments check diners’ vaccine status.

San Francisco-based OpenTable said Wednesday that when diners use the app to make a reservation at a restaurant requiring vaccination, it will display a “CLEAR” banner on the reservation confirmation page linking to instructions on creating a digital vaccine card on the CLEAR app.

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The CLEAR digital vaccine card will appear on the OpenTable app for easy proof of vaccination. The CLEAR vaccine card connects a person’s verified identity to their proof of vaccination from hundreds of vaccine providers across the country, including the state of California and national pharmacies.

“Our partnership with CLEAR furthers our commitment to help both restaurants and diners navigate dining out in the next chapter of the pandemic,” said OpenTable CEO Debby Soo in a press statement. “This collaboration aims to streamline restaurant entry, saving time for both restaurant staff and diners and lets everyone focus on the meal – not the logistics.”

The OpenTable/CLEAR integration is expected to launch in September on OpenTable’s iPhone and Android apps.

Last week, San Francisco began requiring businesses in high-contact indoor sectors such as bars, restaurants, indoor gyms and entertainment venues to obtain proof of vaccination from their patrons and employees, the first health order of its kind in the nation.

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The mandate follows a number of tough COVID-19 measures San Francisco imposed since the beginning of the pandemic. The city and its neighboring counties in the Bay Area were the first in the nation to order residents to stay at home in order to slow the spread of the coronavirus and was the first big city in the nation to require all city employees to be vaccinated, without the option of testing…

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