Nipissing notified of privacy breach at guard.me International Insurance
Nipissing University’s primary provider of emergency medical insurance coverage for international students, guard.me, has informed the University of a cybersecurity incident resulting from an unauthorized third-party unlawfully accessing their data systems. Many of guard.me's clients are impacted by this incident, including Nipissing University, and guard.me has notified impacted individuals directly by email.
Nipissing University takes the privacy of our students and community very seriously. We are advocating on behalf of those affected in this process and are working closely with guard.me to understand why this happened, what data is impacted and what actions they are taking to increase their security.
If you are a user of guard.me’s services but have not been contacted by them, it is possible the company does not have your current email address. If you believe that to be the case, please contact Nipissing’s Privacy Office by emailing fippa@nipissingu.ca. In the meantime, here are some things you can do to protect your privacy now:
- guard.me is offering credit monitoring services to individuals impacted by this incident for the next year. Contact guard.me for more information.
- If you use your guard.me password for other websites or services, we recommend you change it immediately. It is never a good idea to use the same password for multiple systems, as a breach in one system can put others at risk.
- Remain vigilant, as always, to the possibility of fraud and identity theft by reviewing your financial statements and accounts regularly for any unauthorized activity. Notify your local law enforcement of any suspicious activity.
- Visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre to learn how to protect yourself from scams and fraud.
- Visit getcybersafe.ca to learn about cyber security and the simple steps you can take to protect yourself online.
Nipissing University has reported this privacy breach to the Ontario Information and Privacy Commission (IPC). In addition, individuals have the right to contact the IPC directly (contact information below):
Registrar, Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario
2 Bloor Street East, Suite 1400
Toronto, ON M42 1A8
Telephone: 416-326-3333 or toll-free 1-800-387-0073
If you have questions that are specific to Nipissing University, please contact fippa@nipissingu.ca. Otherwise, please refer to the guard.me customer notice or contact guard.me directly at mediarelations@guard.me or at 1-888-348-1946 or +1 905-752-6207.