Long Weekend Tech Check-In: Cyber Updates, Breaches & Staying Safe This Summer

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Aug 1
3 min read

Hawki IT | August 2025

It’s another long weekend here in Canada, and while many of us are enjoying some much-needed R&R, the cybersecurity world is anything but quiet. This month has seen several major breaches and tech updates — and if you’re a business owner, IT lead, or tech-savvy professional, now’s a great time to review how your systems are holding up.

Here’s your Hawki IT-approved update on what’s new, what’s been breached, and what to do to stay secure while soaking up the sun.

tech check-in with Hawki IT. Stay safe this August long weekend. — Tech update with Hawki IT. www.hawkiit.com

Major Breaches and Security Incidents – July 2025 Recap

🎯 Industrial Alliance (iA Financial Group) – Quebec-based Insurance Giant Breached

In late July, Industrial Alliance confirmed a data breach affecting client and advisor information. While full details are still emerging, it’s believed the attackers accessed sensitive personal and financial data, sparking concerns across the financial and insurance sectors. Regulatory notifications are in progress, and the company is facing scrutiny over its cybersecurity practices.

📡 CDW – Global IT Provider Hit by LockBit

CDW, a Fortune 500 IT reseller and services provider, was targeted by the LockBit ransomware gang in the U.S. The attackers reportedly demanded $80 million in ransom. The breach affected internal systems and partner data, showing once again that even tech companies aren't immune.

🧾 UnitedHealth Group / Change Healthcare Fallout Continues

Although the original breach occurred earlier in 2024, the ripple effects of the Change Healthcare ransomware attack (allegedly tied to BlackCat/ALPHV) are still impacting hospitals, pharmacies, and billing systems across North America. UHG has now spent over $2 billion in recovery costs, with additional class action lawsuits mounting.

📦 Purolator – Canadian Logistics Firm Disrupted

Purolator experienced a system-wide outage in June due to what they described as a "cyber incident." While they’ve been tight-lipped on details, it caused widespread delivery delays and raised questions about supply chain IT resilience in Canada.

BONUS: Threat Intelligence Snapshot

Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) groups are actively targeting SMBs and MSPs.
APT activity tied to geopolitical tension (Russia, China, Iran) is escalating.
AI-driven phishing, spoofed MFA prompts, and QR-code attacks ("quishing") are all trending.

🛡️ Hawki’s Summer Cyber Tips for IT Leaders & Business Owners

If you’re responsible for security in your org, consider this your weekend checklist:

Offline Backups – Ensure your most critical data is backed up offline or immutable.
Security Patch Management – Push out updates before the weekend (especially VPNs, firewalls, and RMM tools).
MFA on Everything – And consider conditional access for added identity protection.
Audit Cloud Access – Dormant accounts or misconfigured permissions are top entry points.
Threat Detection – Ensure EDR/XDR solutions are running and alerts are being monitored, even if your team is off.

🌐 Cloud, Compliance & Canadian Data

As cloud usage grows, businesses need to ensure data residency and compliance — especially after Canada’s proposed updates to Bill C-27 (Digital Charter Implementation Act). This has implications for:

Where you store client data (especially if using U.S.-based providers)
Your responsibility in the event of a third-party data breach
Whether your current MSP or IT partner meets evolving regulatory standards

At Hawki IT, we provide Canadian-hosted private cloud solutions and hybrid architecture guidance so you can meet security, compliance, and performance goals — without relying on vulnerable public clouds alone.