Ransomware Attack Stops Nova Scotia Power Meter Readings – Source: www.infosecurity-magazine.com

Nova Scotia Power has revealed that a recent ransomware attack has prevented customer meter readings from being recorded, impacting billing charges.

The Canadian utilities provider said that after initially pausing billing, it is now sending most customers estimated bills until its systems are restored.

“Since the cyber incident discovered on April 25, power meters have continued to function and gather accurate energy usage data from homes and businesses across the province. However, due to the cyber incident, the meters have not been able to communicate that data to our systems,” the company wrote in an incident update on July 8.

The company is continuing to work with external cybersecurity experts to restore systems safely and securely.

Attackers Accessed Customer Data, Including Bank Details

An investigation into the incident revealed that an unauthorized third-party accessed and exfiltrated customer data on certain Nova Scotia Power servers around March 19, 2025.

No details have been provided on how the attackers gained access to parts of the firm’s network and servers.

On June 6, the firm notified authorities that approximately 280,000 Canadian-based customers have been impacted by the breach.

The information breached may include highly sensitive personal and financial details, including:

• Names, dates of birth, phone numbers, email addresses, mailing and service addresses, driver’s license number and Canadia Social Insurance number
• Nova Scotia Power program participation information and customer account history, including billing and credit history
• Some customers’ bank account numbers may also have been impacted if this information was provided

The type of impacted information varies by individual customer.

Nova Scotia Power has warned that some of the accessed information has been published to the dark web. It is currently unclear which threat group is behind the attack and leak.

The energy firm is expanding credit monitoring services to those impacted. It is also urging customers to stay vigilant for social engineering attacks amid an increase in fraudulent phone, text, social media posts and websites posing as Nova Scotia Power.

Nova Scotia Power Resists Attacker Demands

The firm disclosed on May 23 that the incident was a sophisticated ransomware attack.

“No payment has been made to the threat actor. This decision reflects our careful assessment of applicable sanctions laws and alignment with law enforcement guidance,” the company wrote.

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Utility providers have faced surging ransomware threats. A ReliaQuest report in December 2024 found that the industry was hit by a 42% surge in ransomware attacks over the previous 12 months.