The Insurance Corp. of British Columbia (ICBC) has delayed its COVID-19 rebate cheques following a cyberattack.
The attack hit a third-party vendor that was contracted to provide printing and distribution services.
The public insurer said that there is no indication any information was obtained. The vendor had access to customer names and addresses, as well as rebate amounts and cheque numbers.
ICBC also said that its systems remain secure, and were not compromised in the attack.
"Ensuring the safety and security of customers' information is our top priority. We are actively monitoring the situation with the vendor and will work with the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia (OIPC) if any information has been obtained," ICBC noted in its disclosure of the attack Wednesday evening.
One-time COVID-19 rebates are expected to average $190 – the result of the roughly $600 million saved by ICBC due to a significant decrease in crashes and costs following the start of the pandemic.
Most customers who had an active policy between April 1, 2020 and September 30, 2020 are eligible for a rebate.
Cheques were supposed to be mailed starting this week.
ICBC said it is "optimistic" the delay will be minimal. It is also exploring options for mailing cheques to customers in the coming weeks.
