Canadian investigation launched into data breach that exposed millions of IDs | CBC News

Canada's privacy watchdog has opened an investigation into IDScan.net after a breach that may have affected millions of licences and other official IDs issued in Canada and the United States.

Earlier this month, the company posted a notice saying an "unauthorized third party" may have obtained customer information kept in its cloud accounts. It said it is contacting people who might be affected and providing free credit monitoring.

The privacy commissioner's office said it was "looking into the incident" but declined further detail, citing the active investigation. The review will consider whether the company violated federal private-sector privacy law.

The incident could rank among the largest exposures of state-issued identity documents in North America. Researcher Edwards, who said his own licence was included, described the scale as unprecedented, saying it happened "at this scale."

Edwards also warned the situation created "legitimate national security risks" for prominent people. The outcome of the federal probe could determine whether IDScan.net faces findings or orders over its handling of personal data.