Residents of Montreal's North Shore are asked to be cautious after the personal information of thousands of people was leaked in a cyber attack.

According to the Integrated Health and Social Services Center (CISSS) in Laval, there was a "security breach" at Segma Recherche, a market research company that conducted a survey on behalf of the regional health authority.

A CISSS spokesperson also said the company was sent 100,000 names, and information from 9,000 of them was stolen.

The spokesperson added that people may be victims of the cyber attack even if they did not participate in the survey.

Officials are still investigating the remaining 91,000 names.

It is worth noting that the collected information includes full names, phone numbers, reasons for consultation, services provided, service dates, file numbers, and the patients involved in the breach are those who had a consultation between July 1 and December 31, 2022, and who had appointments in various sectors, including Cite-de-la-Santé Hospital, the emergency room and surgery, medical imaging, mental health, outpatient clinics, CLSC centers, home care, COVID-19 vaccination centers, and the René-Laennec mobile mental health center.

CISSS del Laval said in a statement: “We are aware that this situation may cause concern, and we take it seriously... The security and protection of our patients' personal data are a priority for us.”

Residents are urged to be cautious of any suspicious communications and to contact the police if they suspect they are victims of fraud.

Patients can contact Segma Recherche at 514-876-4101 or by email