{
  "id": 11488031,
  "title": "Risk of info leaked ‘low’ after cyberattack against force: Kingston police",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/risk-of-info-leaked-low-after-cyberattack-against-force-kingston",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-02T17:11:58.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Global News",
    "slug": "global-news",
    "url": "https://globalnews.ca/news/12085432/kingston-police-data-breach/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Kingston police have stated that the chance of personal information being leaked following a recent data breach is low. The force released an update on Friday, following an internal investigation, expressing confidence that the disclosure of sensitive information is unlikely. The cyberattack, which occurred in early 2025, involved a hacker using compromised account credentials to gain access to internal systems. This breach resulted in the extraction of approximately 160 gigabytes of data. The compromised data included 345,000 documents, of which 100,000 were set for analysis to identify any potentially exposed personal information. Criminal court information, provincial offence ticketing data, bail hearing lists, and Excel reports from 2000 to 2024 were also compromised, all containing personal information such as names, dates of birth, offence details, pleas, findings, and sentences. Additionally, data dating back to 1998 to 2020 was affected, impacting around 80,000 individuals who had interactions with police. This information comprised 2,000 driver's license numbers, 250 credit card, health card or passport numbers, and fewer than 1,000 social insurance numbers. Police engaged with the hacker, who agreed to delete the data and provide proof of its deletion; however, the specifics of this proof remain undisclosed. Police spokespersons emphasized the community's trust and the ongoing commitment to transparency and enhancing security measures. The cyberattack cost the force approximately $1 million during the 2025 fiscal year. Police plans include investing $3.9 million over the next three years to fortify cybersecurity and IT infrastructure, with an additional 50 percent increase in full-time IT staff. Anyone who interacted with police or appeared in court during the breach timeframe is advised to monitor credit card statements and report any potential ID compromises to relevant government agencies.",
  "summary": "The breach, which happened when a hacker used “compromised account credentials” to access internal systems, led to the extraction of approximately 160 GB of data, police said.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}