Rogers and Fido Hit by Data Breach Exposing Customer Information Rogers Communications and its subsidiary Fido disclosed a data breach on Friday after detecting unauthorized access to customer information through internal security monitoring. The compromised data includes names, contact details, account numbers, and language preferences, though the company confirmed that sensitive information such as social insurance numbers, dates of birth, passwords, and financial details remained secure. In a statement to The Globe and Mail, Rogers spokesperson Zac Carreiro acknowledged the incident, stating that immediate action was taken to investigate and bolster protections. The company is still determining the full scope of the breach and has not yet disclosed the number of affected customers or how long the unauthorized access persisted. Notably, Rogers did not address whether the breach was connected to recent IT layoffs or how the exposed account numbers could be exploited in future phishing attacks. The incident follows similar breaches at other Canadian telecoms, including Freedom Mobile and Telus Digital. Rogers continues its investigation and plans to notify impacted customers.

Canadian Data Breaches Hit Record Costs in 2026, IBM Report Finds A new report from IBM reveals that data breaches in Canada reached an average cost of $7.11 million per incident in 2026, up from $6.98 million in 2025. The breaches exposed an average of 28,500 records an 8% increase from the previous year and took 205 days to detect and contain, a 6% rise in response time. The rising costs stem from the complex aftermath of breaches, including business disruption, recovery efforts, legal obligations, and customer communications, according to Chris Sicard, IBM Canada’s security leader. Some companies even pass recovery expenses to clients, amplifying the financial strain. The report defines data breaches as incidents compromising personally identifiable, financial, medical, or proprietary information, with some attacks exposing up to 115,380 records. High-profile Canadian companies including Rogers, Fido, Telus Digital, Loblaw, Canada Computers, and Ardene have reported breaches in 2026. Energy companies faced the highest average breach costs at $9.21 million, followed by technology firms ($9.02 million) and industrial organizations ($8.89 million). Sicard attributed the higher costs to their larger networks, sensitive data, and low tolerance for downtime, making them prime targets for attackers. The report also highlighted the role of AI in cybersecurity, with organizations using AI extensively reporting lower breach costs ($5.5 million vs. $8.91 million) and faster response times 124 days to detect and 57 to contain, compared to 154 days and 71 days for non-AI adopters. AI is increasingly used for vulnerability patching, breach detection, and containment, improving efficiency in mitigating attacks.

Ransomware Surge in January 2026: Shifting Targets and Emerging Threats January 2026 marked a sharp rise in ransomware activity, with 711 attacks recorded down slightly from December 2025’s 783 but 33% higher than January 2025 and well above the 2025 monthly average of 620. While attacks on manufacturers plateaued, finance and tech sectors became prime targets, seeing 24% and 12% increases, respectively. ### Key Trends and Impact - Geographic Shifts: The UK saw an 83% surge in attacks (42 in January vs. 23 in December), while the US declined by 8% (329 attacks) and Germany dropped 38%. Canada and Australia also experienced increases. - New Threat Actor: A group called 0APT claimed over 80 attacks, but most were unverified and later removed from tracking databases. - Data Theft: Over 104 TB of data was stolen, with Sinobi leading in total volume (13.6 TB) and Everest claiming the largest single breach (1.4 TB from Iron Mountain). ### Sector Breakdown - Healthcare: Attacks fell 27% (36 vs. 49 in December), but confirmed incidents rose. Notable breaches included Mt. Spokane Pediatrics (LockBit) and Pecan Tree Dental (Sinobi), exposing 13,300 records. - Government: Attacks remained steady (31 vs. 30 in December), with 10 confirmed. The Gentlemen targeted Spain’s Ayuntamiento de Beniel and South Africa’s Witzenberg Municipality, while Qilin hit Tulsa International Airport. - Education: Attacks dropped 45% (16 vs. 29), with no confirmed incidents. However, delayed disclosures revealed breaches at Clackamas Community College (Medusa) and Trocaire College (INC). - Businesses: Attacks decreased 7%, but finance and tech saw spikes. The Gentlemen breached Rogers Capital Credit (Mauritius), exposing banking data, while Rhysida demanded $392,000 from Elabs AG (Germany). ### Top Ransomware Gangs - Qilin led with 108 attacks (6 confirmed), followed by Clop (90, none confirmed) and Akira (72, 3 confirmed). - The Gentlemen had the highest confirmation rate (5 of 48 claims), targeting businesses and governments. ### Notable Incidents - Iron Mountain (US): Everest claimed 1.4 TB stolen, though the breach was limited to market materials. - AZ Monica (Belgium): A ransomware attack forced operation cancellations and patient transfers via the Red Cross. - Sanxenxo (Spain): Hackers demanded $5,000, which was refused. The data underscores evolving ransomware tactics, with gangs shifting focus to high-value sectors and leveraging delayed disclosures to obscure attack timelines.

Canadian Data Breaches Hit Record Costs as AI Emerges as a Key Defense Canadian companies faced rising financial and operational fallout from data breaches in 2026, with average costs climbing to $7.11 million per incident up from $6.98 million in 2025 according to an IBM report released this week. The breaches exposed an average of 28,500 records, an 8% increase from the previous year, and took 205 days to detect and contain, a 6% rise in response time. The financial burden stems not just from the attacks themselves but from the cascading effects: business disruption, recovery efforts, legal obligations, and customer impact. Some companies even passed recovery costs to clients, while others, like Rogers, Fido, Telus Digital, Loblaw, Canada Computers, and Ardene, reported breaches in 2026. Energy companies bore the highest average costs at $9.21 million per breach, followed by technology firms ($9.02 million) and industrial organizations ($8.89 million). IBM attributed the disparity to their complex networks, sensitive data, and low tolerance for downtime, making them prime targets for attackers. The report highlighted AI as a critical tool in mitigating breaches. Organizations using AI extensively in security operations reported lower average costs ($5.5 million vs. $8.91 million) and faster response times 124 days to detect and 57 to contain breaches, compared to 154 and 71 days for non-AI adopters. However, 28% of attacks studied were believed to be AI-generated, underscoring the technology’s dual role in cybersecurity. The study, conducted by the Ponemon Institute, analyzed 602 global organizations between March 2025 and February 2026, with follow-up interviews in May 2026. While the findings provide a snapshot of evolving threats, the methodology based on online surveys lacks a traditional margin of error due to non-random sampling.