Cascades Casino cybersecurity attack may have breached personal employee information

Cascades Casino in Chatham recently experienced a cybersecurity attack that resulted in a temporary shutdown of the casino. As a result, current and former employees have been alerted about a possible breach of their personal information. Cyberattack is avoidable. Here are tips on how to protect your company from cyberattacks.

In a letter sent to casino staff, the company acknowledged the occurrence of "unauthorised access to personal information" and stated that there have been no known instances of personal information misuse at the present time.

Cybersecurity expert Ritesh Kotak emphasised that once a breach happens, individuals' information becomes vulnerable to exploitation by cybercriminals. This may involve selling the data, leading to risks such as identity theft, fraudulent loan applications, or breaches in other platforms that rely on specific personal information. In March 2023, cyberattacks hit data centres and stole information from global companies.

To mitigate the potential misuse of personal information, Gateway, the operator of Cascades Casino is providing employees with a complimentary 12-month credit monitoring and identity theft protection plan.

Following the incident, Gateway promptly took action to contain the breach by closing its Ontario locations and severing internet access. An ongoing investigation is being conducted in collaboration with expert advisors to determine the impact on customer information. As of now, no evidence has been found to suggest the theft of sensitive personal information.

Gateway maintains close communication with law enforcement, regulators, and privacy commissioners to keep them informed about the progress of the investigation. The provided protection plan encompasses various services, including access to an identity restoration specialist, daily credit monitoring, local wallet assistance, and identity theft insurance.

While it is impossible to retract personal information once it has been exposed, Kotak suggests several measures individuals can take to safeguard themselves following a breach. These steps include enabling account notifications, monitoring personal accounts regularly, utilising credit monitoring services, using a hide VPN service, and employing separate email addresses for different purposes.