N.B. Liquor stopped attempted cyber attack, CEO says
RCMP and cybersecurity experts still investigating how the Crown corporation's system was breached
N.B. Liquor CEO Lori Stickles says the company's security systems worked as intended during an attempted cyber attack this month.
"We got the alert, we were able to basically put a choke hold on it by shutting our system down proactively," Stickles said in an interview Thursday.
"Because of all that, we were able to prevent this from becoming an actual cyber attack, where we would have lost control."
Stickles was unable to provide details on how the system was breached, or how much the breach cost in revenue and third-party support fixing it. She said no signs of ransomware or malware had been detected in the system.
The only information exposed was the active business directory, which Stickles referred to as an "internal phone book" that hosts email addresses of business clients and some employees. As a precaution, those affected have been notified, she said.
Stickles said most of that information is publicly available, and there were no privacy issues at play.
Many of the company's internal systems were down for two weeks, with corporate stores spending one and a half days closed midweek last week before opening for cash-only service. They closed again last Friday morning but reopened in the afternoon.
Stickles said the closures were a necessary response to the threat.
"Imagine if you got a car on the road, if you don't close the road down, that car can continue to advance," she said.
"By shutting down the internet and everything, you basically stop the ability for that to go anywhere else in the system."
Stickles said the investigation into the attempted attack wrapped up last Friday. Debit and credit payments at corporate stores resumed on Sunday.
Cannabis N.B. stores were also affected but were quickly reopened for cash transactions.
The RCMP and the Canadian Institute for Cybersecurity are continuing to investigate.
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