Nova Scotia Power says it can’t read its meters digitally right now because of the cyber attack in March, so contractors will be going out on foot to record usage. Photo by NOVA SCOTIA POWERArticle contentNova Scotia Power says the cyber attack on the utility in the spring means the company needs to collect power usage information on foot rather than digitally for now.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentIt said meters have continued to function since the attack was discovered on April 25, but that information can’t be sent digitally to the company.Article contentArticle content“As a result, we initially paused customer billing and have recently resumed billing with most customers receiving estimated bills until our systems are restored and meters begin communicating again,” the company said Tuesday in a post on its website.Article contentArticle contentMeter readers started going to homes and businesses this month to get information from meters to accurately reflect usage since April.Article contentThe company said meter readers will need to access most properties but customers do not have to be on site.Article contentThe readers will be wearing NSP-branded clothing and will carry ID bearing the word “contractor.”Article contentThe company said that if meters can’t be read because of vegetation, pets, fencing or other reasons, the bill will be estimated again based on an average of power use at the property during a similar time of year.Article contentThe ransomware attack in March was initially thought to have only affected a percentage of customers, but last month the company said all customers past and present may have been involved.Article contentArticle contentIt is now offering five years of free credit monitoring for all customersArticle contentArticle contentThe company is still working to determine the full scope of what information was taken but can’t rule out that these types of personal information were taken: name, phone number, email address, mailing and service addresses, Nova Scotia Power program participation information, date of birth, driver’s licence numbers and customer account history.Article contentCustomer account history can include power consumption, service requests, payments, billing and credit history, and customer correspondence.Article contentFor some former customers, bank account numbers used for pre-authorized payment and social insurance numbers may also have been accessed.Article content
Nova Scotia Power says meter readings being taken on foot because of impacts of cyber attack
