Skip to content

Alberta health records may be compromised by Trojan horse computer virus

The Alberta government is warning about a computer virus that may have compromised the private health information of more than 11,000 people.

EDMONTON — The Alberta government is warning about a computer virus that may have compromised the private health information of more than 11,000 people.

The virus is a new variant of a Trojan horse program that appears friendly, but steals data and sends it to a computer controlled by a hacker.

Alberta Health Services says it is sending letters to 11,582 people whose information may have been captured during a two-week period in May.

The province says it is unlikely the information will be used for unauthorized purposes.

Frank Work, Alberta’s privacy commissioner, is urging the government and people to be vigilant about such viruses.

Work says people who use computers should ensure that they are using up-to-date anti-virus sotware.