London Drugs stores start reopening after cyberattack
In the heart of Vancouver, London Drugs is showing signs of life after a cyber attack. It’s like it’s Christmas shopping. People are very excited to be back. About a dozen of the companies. Nearly 80 stores reopened doors Sunday, but that took seven days. It’s a slow process, skeleton crew and not much in the way of services. The chain is also a major pharmacy, leaving some scrambling to fill prescriptions with in store pharmacies only open for emergencies. They told me that I could pick up a prescription, but I needed cash to pay for it. The company has offered no details about what happened, saying only that customer data wasn’t compromised. Most often when this happens, it’s it’s some form of ransomware attack where a hacker has gotten into the network. Across the country, cyber attacks have targeted everything from governments to hospitals, often by hackers trying to extort ransom. BC’s libraries hit just this week. I suspect that many organizations have been taking this threat too lightly under investing in it. Brand experts say hacked companies need to better communicate with loyal customers and you need to do that. You need to be over communicating. They almost need to say, holy cow, those guys are really showing me the love for now. Customers say they’re happy to see doors open. That’s the store where you get like pretty much anything you need like from a snack to like, you know, everyday grocery or like hair products or anything that you could think of. More locations are expected to reopen their doors in coming days. Yvette Brent. CBC News, Vancouver.