What the Nova Scotia Power hack exposed—and why every grid is now a target.
A ransomware attack hit Nova Scotia Power on March 19 but wasn’t discovered until April 25. Personal data of 280,000 customers—including SINs and bank details—was stolen. Despite this, the utility didn’t pay the ransom and has now secured $1.8 million in funding for cybersecurity upgrades.
Rajiv Gupta, head of the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security, explained that ransomware attacks on critical infrastructure are now routine, often involving double extortion: locking systems and threatening to leak stolen data. These attacks are profit-driven, with stolen data traded in dark web marketplaces. Most cybercriminals operate from jurisdictions where they’re hard to prosecute, making disruptions temporary.
Gupta emphasized that victims often notify the Centre, which provides recovery guidance but cannot enforce actions. He urged companies to be proactive: know critical assets, follow the national ransomware playbook, and assume any internet-connected system is globally exposed.
Cybercrime’s ecosystem—ransomware as a service—relies on stolen data to enable fraud, phishing, and identity theft. Gupta advises vigilance: verify communications, enable strong authentication, and share breach data to help others. As power grids become more connected, their vulnerabilities increase—and regulators still lack authority to enforce resilience.
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