Constant Surveillance of Cyber Threats by London Drugs President Reveals Ongoing Probing for Weaknesses

The president of London Drugs is unsure why the company was targeted in a cyber attack that led to the closure of its stores for over a week. Clint Mahlman mentioned that hackers with advanced techniques are always looking for vulnerabilities in online systems.

Mr. Mahlman revealed that the Richmond, B.C.-based pharmacy and retailer had been preparing for such a situation for years. They acted swiftly to shut down operations immediately after discovering the cybersecurity breach on April 28 to contain the threat.

Following the breach, London Drugs has been collaborating with cybersecurity experts to thoroughly review every system before bringing them back online securely.

“We will only reopen a system once we are confident that it meets the highest security standards,” he stated.

He confirmed that there is no evidence to suggest that customer data was compromised during the attack.

Regarding any potential connection to the cybersecurity incidents involving government networks announced by B.C. Premier David Eby on May 8, Mr. Mahlman stated he has no information on that matter.

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Mr. Mahlman refrained from sharing specifics about their interactions with the threat actors. He expressed regret that they could not provide more information following the incident, as they did not want to empower the attackers.

“Cybersecurity experts deal with such threats regularly and can identify certain behaviors from specific threat actors,” he explained.

He emphasized that hackers monitor media reports on cyber attacks to gauge the company’s awareness of the breach and recovery capabilities.

Mr. Mahlman affirmed that London Drugs would not give hackers any advantage in such situations.

“Apologies to the media and our customers for the lack of details they might have wanted, but our priority is the safety and security of our systems and customers,” he added.

London Drugs announced on May 7 that all 79 of its stores across B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba had reopened. Mr. Mahlman described the decision to shut down all systems companywide as a significant step to contain and mitigate potential damage.

“The expertise and sophistication of these international cyber threat actors are considerable,” Mr. Mahlman noted.

Regarding the B.C. government incident, Mr. Eby mentioned that they were collaborating with various agencies to assess the extent of the issue, with no current evidence of sensitive information compromise.

Mr. Mahlman confirmed an ongoing investigation with cybersecurity experts from different regions to determine the extent of potential information access.

“This is the first time we’ve had to close all our stores. This situation is not unique to London Drugs, and the public may find it surprising,” said Mr. Mahlman.