500 Canadian public servants’ passwords found online and on dark web: research

Author Sharlene Gandhi

Since the beginning of 2024, more than 500 passwords belonging to Canadian civil servants have been exposed on publicly available sources and the dark web. 

New research by NordPass found that the Department of National Defence, Global Affairs Canada, and Parliament were some of the most impacted institutions when it came to compromised passwords. 

“Compromised passwords can affect not only organizations and their employees but also large numbers of citizens,” said NordPass’ head of product, Karolis Arbačiauskas. “Moreover, such incidents may also pose serious risks to a country’s strategic interests.”

NordPass monitored passwords from public sector institutions in six countries. Canada has the fewest exposed passwords, with the United States and France topping the charts. 

This year, the Minister of Public Safety launched Canada’s new National Cyber Security Strategy, committing to more partnerships with partners in academia, the private sector, other levels of government, and Indigenous communities. 

The government also plans to make cybersecurity awareness more accessible to all Canadians. 

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  • Sharlene Gandhi is the Future of Good editorial fellow on digital transformation.

    Sharlene has been reporting on responsible business, environmental sustainability and technology in the UK and Canada since 2018. She has worked with various organizations during this time, including the Stanford Social Innovation Review, the Pentland Centre for Sustainability in Business at Lancaster University, AIGA Eye on Design, Social Enterprise UK and Nature is a Human Right. Sharlene moved to Toronto in early 2023 to join the Future of Good team, where she has been reporting at the intersections of technology, data and social purpose work. Her reporting has spanned several subject areas, including AI policy, cybersecurity, ethical data collection, and technology partnerships between the private, public and third sectors.

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